Stargate: New Frontier
by andrewjameswilliams
Summary: AU Stargate. What could have happened if the stargate had never been discovered. How would things be different for Humanity and the Goa'uld when they finally meet.
1. Chapter 1

**Stargate: New Frontier**

Authors Notes: This story is set in an alternate universe version of Stargate. In this timeline the Stargate was never discovered on Earth and both Earth gates remain buried under the sands of Egypt or beneath the glaciers of Antarctica forgotten.

For the Goa'uld System Lords their way of life continued pretty much as it did for thousands of years. Sokar and Anubis returned from their exiles prompting a massive galaxy-wide war amongst the Goa'uld. By the time of this story there now exists a balance of power between the forces of Sokar, Anubis and the System Lords led by the Supreme System Lord Ra with none able to defeat the other.

In the intervening centuries Earth Humans have grown technologically, developing hyperspace travel and other technologies all on their own and have spread amongst the stars close to Earth. They remain blissfully unaware of the existence of the Goa'uld and the struggle that has the fate of the galaxy on a knife-edge.

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Terran Federation Survey Ship Charles Darwin**

**March 2****nd**** 2535**

Professor Melinda Jackson smiled softly as she read through the long range probe data on the planet she and the survey teams she were in charge of were being tasked to examine to see if it was viable for colonisation. The probe that had scanned the system several months ago had determined that like many worlds in this galaxy the planet was Earth-like, but Melinda knew from experience that didn't automatically mean it was a viable world.

On the hologram though the planet looked to be very promising, one of the most promising she had come across in her career as a xenobiologist. Readings taken by long range probes indicated that it was a world slightly larger than Earth, but with marginally less surface gravity, surrounded by a ring system and two moons. Climate appeared to be subtropical over most of the surface with an abundance of plant and animal life. All in all it appeared to be the perfect world to be the first Terran colony in this sector of space, and the perfect jump off point for colonisation and exploration missions of the surrounding area.

Pleased with the information that she was reading through Melinda made small bullet points of all the most important details of the planet, then saved them to one of the memory storage nodes of her neural implant. Then she saved and closed the file making the holographic screen floating in front of her vanish into thin air. After taking a moment to stretch she stood up. _Not long now till we drop out of hyperspace,_ she thought, knowing they would be approaching their destination after nearly twelve hours in hyperspace, _I wonder if I have enough time to go and get a coffee._

She was just leaving her quarters to go and get a coffee from the mess hall when the comm. unit on her wrist buzzed and vibrated for attention. _Now what,_ she thought before raising the offending device and answering the hail.

"Jackson," she acknowledged.

"Professor its Commander Drake," the _Charles Darwin's_ master answered. "We're approaching our destination. Would you care to come to the bridge?"

"I'll be right there," Melinda replied, she always liked being present on the bridge when they emerged from hyperspace over a new world. She liked being one of the first people to ever set eyes on a new planet; it was a personality quirk of hers.

"Good I look forward to seeing you, Drake out." The wrist comm. went dead; Melinda smiled and lowered her arm before changing direction for the _Charles Darwin's_ small bridge.

* * *

**Bridge**

Commander Timothy Drake smiled softly as he closed the comm. channel with Professor Jackson. Having worked with her for several years he had come to know and like the woman. In addition to being a good scientist, she was a good conversationalist and one of the few people on board he could have a decent debate or a game of chess with.

"Sir if you don't mind my asking why invite the professor to the bridge," Colonel Richard Swain asked from his workstation. Tim smiled slightly, having expected the question, Richard was new to this job, this being the first deep space mission together, his previous first officer having been transferred and promoted to commander.

"Melinda likes being one of the first people to set eyes upon a new world, colonel," he replied before gesturing to the bridge view ports. The entire front of the bridge of the survey ship was a view port out into space, and currently showing nothing but the glowing blue tunnel effect of hyperspace. "She can do that best from up here," Tim added.

"I guess so," Richard replied glancing at the view ports, he still wasn't used to them. It was such a departure from the warships he had served on in the past, which invariably had their command centres buried deep within the armoured core of the vessel, safe from all but a mortal blow. "Sorry, sir, I'm just not used to having a view like this from the bridge."

Tim smiled remembering that he had been the same when he had first stepped onto the _Charles Darwin_ as master. "You'll get used to it," he said. "Helmsman, time to destination coordinates?"

"We'll be dropping out of hyperspace in one minute, thirty seconds sir," Lieutenant Jacobs reported from the combined helm/navigator stations.

"Tactical sound amber alert status," Tim ordered following the protocol demanded for emerging from hyperspace over a new world. "Bring all defence systems to stand by."

"Aye, sir," tactical replied, pressing the controls to sound the alert throughout the ship and bring the ships shields and limited weapons arrays onto stand by. Though a survey vessel the _Charles Darwin_ was still a commissioned vessel of the Federal Guard and like her warship cousins she was not defenceless.

As the familiar two-toned klaxon sounded throughout the ship, summoning the small military crew of fifty-seven to their stations the door to the bridge opened and Melinda Jackson came onto the bridge. Melinda resisted the impulse to roll her eyes at the alert being sounded; she didn't see why it was necessary. In the four and half centuries since hyperspace technology was developed the Terran Federation hadn't encountered any other race technologically advanced enough to be a threat to them; though they had encountered other species on various planets none were advanced beyond an early industrial level. The only enemy the Human race had was as always itself.

"How long till we come out of hyperspace," she asked.

"About forty seconds," Tim replied. Melinda nodded and went to stand before the bridge windows and looked out at the swirling blue tunnel of hyperspace. A blink superimposed a small digital clock in the lower right hand side of her vision, courtesy of her implant. The clock counted down the seconds till they returned to normal space.

As the seconds wound down she heard a change in the soft humming of the hyperdrive, a change in tone as it began to power down. As her countdown reached zero the humming vanished to nothing, through the view ports the tunnel through subspace evaporated replaced with breathtaking suddenness by the star spangled darkness of normal space. For a moment all Melinda saw was the stars, and then slowly the planet she was to survey appeared in the corner of window as _Charles Darwin_ began orbital insertion manoeuvres.

Melinda didn't move from her position as the ship entered orbit above the ring system surrounding the planet. The blue-green world, marbled with swirls of clouds was certainly beautiful to look at, and she found herself wishing that it would have no hidden nasty surprises that would prevent colonization.

"Orbital insertion completed, commander," Lieutenant Jacobs reported.

"Very good," Tim replied then smiled at Melinda. "Professor if you would like to do the honours."

Melinda smiled, this was a familiar part of the routine on this ship and she appreciated Tim allowing her to give this one order. "Tactical, launch probes," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," tactical reported pressing a control on his console; with a hollow series of thuds a number of probes birthed from the _Charles Darwin's _belly and streaking away from her. The probes split up into two groups, some heading up into a higher orbit to commence high orbital scans of the planet, while others descended into the atmosphere to began lower altitude scans and run tests on the atmosphere, searching for anything, any organisms that could be hazardous to the teams that Melinda would lead down later.

"Probes on course," sensors reported. "Rerouting probe telemetry to the main lab, wait probes in the atmosphere are picking up localised heat sources coming from the western continent. Computer indicates their camp fires."

"This planet is inhabited," Tim said in surprise.

"It shouldn't be," Melinda added. "The probe that swept this area reported no signs of civilisation on this planet."

"Sensors recheck the readings," Tim instructed.

"Reading confirmed sir, multiple camp fires clustered in one small area. Probes are picking up evidence of extensive mining, life signs… commander life signs are Human."

Shock rippled through the bridge at the report, Humans out here in unknown territory? How had they gotten here and who were they, and why hadn't they reacted to the probe when it passed through the system.

"Could it be a lost colony," Melinda said at last. "We know that a number of the early colony ships never made it to their destinations. Maybe one somehow ended up out here."

"Possibly," Tim agreed. "It is strange though, if they are a lost colony surely they would have seen us emerge from hyperspace, plus the survey probe would have picked them up. Communications have there been any attempts to contact us at all?"

"No sir."

"Tim may I," Melinda asked seeking permission to give an order to the sensor officer.

"By all means, professor," Tim answered. "Sensors pull up a display of the coordinates for us."

A holographic screen showing an aerial view of the sensor contact appeared even as Melinda spoke. "Sensors tell the probes to scan for any signs of technology or an old crash site. Anything that could explain how these people got here."

"Yes ma'am."

As the sensor officer carried out his task, Melinda turned her attention to the holographic display. The surface of the planet was heavily wooded, aside from the area where the probe had picked up the mine and the camp fires. An enormous pit had been dug into the ground, with the camp sandwiched between it and the side of a lake. A large structure was visible standing on its own a short distance from the camp, it appeared to be the only large building the probe could pick up.

"Scan complete, professor," sensors reported. "The probe is picking up some very low level power emissions from that structure; whatever technology is in there must be on stand by. No energy signatures detected in the camp, it appears to be composed of structures made of a mixture of brick, slate and wood."

"Any signs of a crash," Melinda asked.

"Negative. The probe is picking one odd thing, a concentration of heavily refined unknown material. More of this material appears to be beneath the surface but it's in an ore state, the mine is over the largest concentration of the mineral."

"Obviously what they are mining," Tim said. "This is strange; there is almost no technology down there of any kind. And if there is no crash site for one of those old colony ships how did these people get here? And why are they mining that mineral?"

"Those are good questions," Colonel Swain agreed from the first officer's station. "But how are we going to find the answers to them?"

"There is only one way that I can see," Melinda said. "And I'm hesitant to suggest it; you know the rules about contacting lower technology civilisations."

"The Senate edict forbidding contact with civilisations without space faring capability shouldn't apply here," Tim pointed out. "These people are Humans not aliens."

Melinda nodded and used her implant to remotely access the ships library computer and bring up the information on that particular senate edict, one that had been passed centuries ago when they had first discovered another race, albeit one with only very basic industrial infrastructure. Carefully she reviewed the text of the document and found what she was looking for.

"You're right, Tim it has no bearing here," she said. "Clause three, paragraph nineteen, subparagraph two states that in the event of a lost colony being discovered contact is to be established regardless of technological development of said colony."

"I thought it did," Tim agreed, reading the same thing with his own implant. A blink made the translucent text vanish from in front of his eyes. "We're clear to go down there then."

"I'll brief my teams," Melinda said. Tim nodded.

"I'm the meantime I'll inform command and the senate about our discovery here," Tim answered. "Then we'll scan the surface again to find a suitable landing site for you."

Melinda nodded. "Now if you'll excuse me, Tim," she said. "I better go and get my teams ready to go down there," she shook her head. "This is certainly not what I expected to find when we started out yesterday."

"Me neither, Melinda," Tim replied with a smile.

Melinda smiled back and left the bridge to go and get her teams ready to face the unprecedented situation on the planet below them. _I wonder how those people got there,_ she thought as she walked, _I'll find the answer. I have to._

* * *

**Thirty Minutes Later**

Melinda Jackson resisted the impulse the fidget impatiently as the Columbus-class exploration shuttle carrying her and the first few members of her team cleared the side of the _Charles Darwin_ and began their descent down to the planet. She couldn't wait to get down their and solve the mystery of the Human presence on this world, a world almost a hundred and fifty light years from the border of the Terran Federation. She had always liked mysteries and this world presented perhaps the greatest mystery she had ever encountered.

_Hopefully it won't take us to long to get some answers,_ she thought as the shuttle started to vibrate as it entered the upper atmosphere of the planet. The disturbance of the shuttle entering the atmosphere flash heating tenuous upper atmospheric gasses resulting in a flickering, glowing sheath of relatively low-temperature plasma. Melinda gripped the edges of her seat as despite the inertial dampeners the shuttle vibrated fiercely from the turbulence. Through the view ports she could see nothing but blazing ions dissolving in a bluish-white shimmer as they encountered the force field that hugged the hull of the shuttle like a second skin, the effect giving the hull a ghostly aura at they descended.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity the turbulence ceased and the plasma sheath evaporated to nothing as the shuttle entered thicker atmosphere. Turning to her team she spoke up.

"Okay people listen up," she said. "By now you all know about the settlement our probes detected. We have no idea how these people got here, it's possible they might not even remember their true origins. So I want everyone to proceed with the utmost caution, is that understood?"

"Yes professor," most of the team replied.

"Yes, ma'am," Lieutenant Peter Franklin – the senior of the two security marines assigned to her party – added a moment later before resuming checking his pulse rifle, making sure that the weapon was ready to use at a moments notice.

"Professor you should see this," the pilot called out from the front compartment of the shuttle. Frowning slightly Melinda slipped out of her restraint and went forward.

"What is it," she asked. The pilot nodded for her to look out the windshield so that's what she did and blinked in surprise. Beyond the thick deciduous trees that stretched from horizon to horizon she could see the structure that the _Charles Darwin's _sensors had detected, and it was a structure that looked very, very out of place on this world, in this environment.

It was an Egyptian pyramid.

Melinda stared at it in disbelief. An Egyptian pyramid here, thousands of light years and thousands of years away from the culture that had built them. And this pyramid looked new and considerably bigger than even the great pyramid at Giza. _What the hell,_ she thought before glancing down at the sensor displays to confirm that it was indeed there. The sensors confirmed its presence, and revealed that appearances aside the pyramid was not constructed entirely of stone like the pyramids back on Earth, but was reinforced by sheets of refined trinium.

"I don't believe it," she said looking back up at the pyramid. "A pyramid here and one reinforced with trinium panels? It makes no sense. This mystery is getting deeper all the time."

"Yes, ma'am," the pilot agreed. "That's why I thought you should see it."

"I appreciate it."

"Shall I set us down right next to it, ma'am?"

"No, the people of this planet seem to be somewhat primitive, I don't want to alarm them by setting down right in their midst. Proceed to our planned landing site; we'll walk the rest of the way."

"Yes, ma'am," the pilot answered. Melinda turned and walked back into the passenger compartment, going over the ever deepening mystery of this planet in her head. First there were Humans here – seemingly living a primitive existence with no advanced technology of any kind that their sensors could detect, and mining an unknown mineral, no evidence of how these people had gotten here, and now an Egyptian-style pyramid thousands of light years away from Earth.

"What is it, ma'am," Lieutenant Franklin asked seeing the look on her face.

"This mystery is getting deeper all the time, lieutenant," Melinda answered. "That structure that the probe sensors picked up is an Egyptian pyramid, or at least one built in Egyptian style."

"What that's impossible," one of the other scientists objected.

"I know, and to make matters even more interesting the pyramid employs quite a sizeable amount of refined trinium in its structure," Melinda replied. "It appears that in coming to this planet we've stumbled upon a great mystery."

"Indeed," agreed the scientist who had spoken. "And I look forward to getting some answers about what is going on on this planet."

"So do I, Fred," Melinda replied sitting back down. "So do I."

A few moments passed in silence as her words died away and everyone thought about what she had just revealed, trying to understand it in there own heads. Then the silence was broken by the rumble of the VTOL jets as the Columbus-class shuttle came into land, kicking up a cloud of dust and leaves as with the faintest of shudders they set down, the first Terran made vessel to settle on this world.

"Okay people you know the routine," Melinda said standing up. "Helmets on please until we've determined there are no harmful bacteria or viruses in the atmosphere that we have no immunity to."

As she spoke she used her implant to relay a command to the metallic collar at the top of her field survival suit. Instantly it deployed a helmet with a transparent faceplate over her head and filters on the collar came on providing her with clear, but unscented air. Around her the team deployed their own helmets as they all stood up.

"Ready lieutenant," Melinda asked turning to look at Lieutenant Franklin as she picked up her field kit, and found herself face to face with the featureless metal of the marine's faceplate. Unlike hers and the scientists the marines helmets didn't provide a transparent viewer, instead the two marines would be seeing the world through high-resolution graphics being projected on heads-up displays inside the helmets.

"Ready professor," Franklin answered.

"Then lets see if we can solve this mystery," Melinda said going to the back hatch and pressing the release. With a hiss of releasing pressure the ramp-like door opened.

As regulations demanded Lieutenant Franklin went down the ramp first, pulse rifle at the ready. Carefully he scanned the area for potential threats, the sensors built into his battle-uniform which was part body armour-part survival jumpsuit building a complete picture of the immediate area in seconds. Aside from some small animals moving in the trees on the opposite side of the clearing they'd set down in there was no immediate danger.

"Clear," he called back.

Immediately Melinda descended the ramp, followed by the rest of the scientists with Sergeant Kyle Walkman bringing up the rear. A silent command to her implant immediately revealed to Melinda where they were in relation to the village and the pyramid that they wished to investigate first. Hopefully once they reached it, it wouldn't take them very long to unravel the mystery of the Human presence on this world.

"The pyramid and the village near it are several kilometres due east of here," she said even as she ordered her implant to feed the information wirelessly to the neural implants of the rest of the landing party.

"It shouldn't take long to get that far," Franklin commented.

"You're right it shouldn't," Melinda agreed. "So lets get started shall we people?"

One by one the members of the landing party nodded their agreement. Melinda took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm her nerves, before beginning walking due east towards the pyramid – whose tip was only just visible above the trees. With calm professionalism the rest of the scientists and the two marines fell into a two-by-two column with her as they took their very first steps on the surface of this new world. Heading for a rendezvous with a destiny that none of them could conceive of.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**TFS Charles Darwin**

**Planetary Orbit, Ten Minutes Later**

"What's the progress of the landing party," Commander Timothy Drake asked as he returned to the bridge with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand.

"The landing party are making good progress towards the pyramid, sir," Colonel Richard Swain replied from the first officer's station. "Professor Jackson estimates that they should reach it within the next fifteen minutes."

"Good maybe then we will start getting some answers to what is going on here," Tim said moving back to his command chair and sitting down before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Hopefully, sir," Richard agreed.

A moment later the sensors bleeped for attention. "Commander," sensors called out. "Long range sensors are picking up a ship in hyperspace closing on our position."

"Can you identify it," Tim asked turning slightly to look at the officer in question.

"Negative, sir configuration does not match anything in our records, and its approaching surprisingly quickly for a ship its size."

"Interesting, it seems we might have a genuine first contact situation on our hands," Tim said feeling a thrill of excitement run through him. Being the one to make first contact with another spacefaring civilisation had long been a dream of his. It was what had led him to join the Federal Guard's survey wing in the first place as opposed to tactical fleet like his younger brother. Now it appeared that that childhood dream was about to come true.

"Indeed, sir," Richard agreed sounding as excited as he felt. "Sensors what is that ships ETA?"

"The alien ship will emerge from hyperspace in five minutes, thirty eight seconds. They should intercept us twenty seconds later, sir."

"Plenty of time," Tim said with a smile. "Communications break out the first contact comm. package and get it ready for broadcast on as many subspace bands as possible. Then transmit a message back to command informing them of our situation."

"Aye sir," communications replied.

"Colonel Swain, please contact Professor Jackson and advise her of what is going to be going on up here."

"Aye sir," Richard acknowledged. "Commander I would advise caution when the alien ship approaches us. Might I suggest we bring the ship back to yellow alert status and have our shields ready to be activated."

Tim frowned slightly, thoughtfully as he considered his first officers council. Though it could possibly send the wrong message to the alien ship – if it was an alien ship – when it arrived he could understand where his first officer was coming from. In away it was a logical expansion on the defensive posture they adopted when they first came out of hyperspace at a completely new world.

"Very well," he agreed. "Tactical bring us to yellow alert, have our shields and weapons brought onto stand-by mode but do not fully energise them until I give the order."

"Aye sir," tactical replied and once more the familiar two-toned alarm for yellow alert sounded throughout the ship, summoning all crew-members to there duty stations. Richard Swain smiled, satisfied that the ship would be safe and her crew on their guard when the alien vessel arrived. Without speaking further he turned back to his console to advise Professor Jackson and the landing party what was going on up here.

* * *

**Landing Party**

**A Few Moments Later**

Professor Melinda Jackson listened in astonishment as Colonel Swain explained via subspace radio what was happening up in orbit. An alien starship was on approach to this planet, on a clear interception course with the _Charles Darwin_, and would emerge from hyperspace soon. A genuine first contact situation, after all these centuries they were about to meet real aliens for the first time. There was no doubt in her mind that all of their names would go down in history after today.

"How long until they arrive," she asked.

"Four minutes and fifty seconds," Robert answered. "We'll have the first contact package ready to be transmitted to them the moment they emerge from hyperspace. I just hope you scientists are correct about it being easily understandable by all species."

"Mathematics is universal, colonel," Melinda replied with a smile. "As long as the aliens can do basic mathematics they should be able to understand the package."

"It's that _should be_ that I've always wondered about professor."

"I understand, colonel. I'm sure the package will be able to be understood."

"Well we will soon know," Robert said at last. "How are you doing down there?"

"We should be at the pyramid in just over an hour," Melinda replied. "I tell you what, I'll keep you updated with what's going on down here if you keep me updated with what's going on up there."

"Deal," Robert answered and Melinda clearly heard the smile in his voice. "We'll check in with you again after the alien ship has arrived, _Darwin_ out." The communications line closed with a soft bleep that sounded quite loud to Melinda as the helmet speakers were right next to her ears.

"Well that's an interesting development," Fred commented, the whole of the landing party had been listening into the conversation between their team leader and the orbiting starship.

"Indeed it is," Melinda agreed a moment before she heard a faint metallic clacking sound coming from somewhere up ahead. "What's that?" she asked as the sound seemed to be getting closer, though it was hard to be sure. It seemed to be reverberating off the densely packed trees of the subtropical forest that seemed to dominate the planet.

"I don't know," Lieutenant Franklin replied frowning slightly a moment before the sound of some kind of horn blowing from up ahead caught his attention, and the clacking sound picked up pace as if whatever was making it was running.

"Everyone seek cover," he said growing more concerned by the second as something told him that they were being hunted by whatever was approaching them. Without argument everyone followed his instructions and ducked behind what convenient cover they could find, be that a large rock, one of the broad tree-trunks or behind a bush.

For a few moments all they heard was the echoing metallic clacking noise getting closer and closer. Then emerging from the forest ahead came figures, humanoid figures. Each was the size of a man, dressed in armour of some kind, on each figures head was a helmet shaped like the head of some-sort of animal. Each figure carried a long staff which flattened out like a cobra on one end and ended with a bulge on the other. The figures seemed to be searching for them, glowing blue helmet eyes making them look like demons from myth.

"What are they," Melinda asked softly over the helmet radios.

"I don't know," Franklin replied. "But my best guess is they're the people behind that pyramid being here, and presumably the presence of Humans on this world."

"What should we do," Melinda said.

"We should…" Franklin started to say when one of the other scientists stepped out from behind the tree he had been hiding behind, holding his hands out in a non-aggressive posture.

"We mean you no harm," Fred said slowly approaching the figures, which seemed to be studying him intently. "Can you understand me?"

"Careful, Fred," Melinda warned on the radio.

"I'll be fine, Melinda," Fred replied the same way, before he addressed the unknown figures again. "Can you understand me?" he asked.

Amazingly this time there was a response. "Jaffa," one of the figures shouted before pointing his staff bulbous end out at Fred. Before anyone could react the tip of the staff opened with a crackling sound and a bolt of golden energy flew from the staff. It crossed the distance between the being firing it and Fred in the blink of an eye. Fred took the blow straight in the chest, and flew backwards to lay unmoving on the ground, a hole burned right through his survival suit to blow a fist sized hole in his torso right over his heart.

"Fred," Melinda cried out in shock and horror, unable to believe that she had just seen one of her friends and colleagues murdered right before her eyes. A moment later the other figures levelled their staffs and started firing randomly, golden energy bolts impacted trees, rocks and foliage as the attackers attempted to flush them out of their hiding places.

Inching round the tree Lieutenant Franklin aimed his pulse rifle at the closest figure and opened fire. A dense red pulse of plasma burst from the muzzle of his rifle and impacted his target. The armoured figure flew backwards and crumpled to the ground dead, a thin line of smoke rising from its chest where the bolt of ionised helium had disintegrated the armour. Return fire flew towards him from other armoured figures and Franklin ducked behind his tree again, and felt the trunk vibrate under him as it took repeated blows.

Sergeant Walkman popped up a little from behind a rock and threw a small plasma grenade taken from his belt at their attackers. The grenade glowed brilliantly as it sailed through the air before impacting the ground and exploding with a wash of plasma flame, throwing three of their assailants to the ground and vaporising a forth.

"Fall back," Franklin ordered as he came around the tree enough to fire two more bolts at their attackers. This time his pulse fire was joined by fire from Walkman's own rifle and two of the aggressors crumpled to the ground dead or badly injured. Heavy salvos of return fire flew back at them and the area immediately around them. A scientist crouching behind a rock cried out as a bolt of energy grazed his arm, his survival suit took the worst of it but some of the energy got through to burn his skin.

"Fall back," Franklin repeated as he continuously swept his rifle left and right, hosing the attackers down with pulse fire, forcing them to duck for cover themselves, while continuing to shoot back. Two scientists jumped up and raced backwards, only to both be shot in the back and crumple to the ground dead.

"No," Melinda screamed. In moments over half her team had been killed or injured, boiling with rage at the unprovoked and merciless slaughter she took her small standard issue pulse pistol from her side holster and joined in the battle, hosing their attackers with fire. The last two scientists left alive, even the injured one, joined in with their own personal weapons.

For what seemed like an eternity the red bolts of their pulse weapons crisscrossed with the larger golden bolts of the attackers staffs. But after only a few moments it stopped as the attackers pulled back.

"Come on lets get out of here before they regroup," Franklin said while using his implant to check on the charge left in his rifle's power cell. He had enough power for another dozen shots before he would have to slot in the spare cell from the belt of his battle uniform. They couldn't really go through a fire fight like that again, this time surprise had been on their side, their attackers obviously hadn't been prepared to deal with them properly and had spread out to thin to really concentrate firepower. A mistake that he knew they were not likely to repeat.

"Back to the shuttle," Melinda agreed.

Slowly, the remaining scientists guarded by both marines started pulling back, leaving the bodies of their dead behind. Seeing her friends and colleagues lying their motionless in the dirt, pained Melinda to know end, her heart wanted her to try and pick them up so they could take them back to the _Charles Darwin_ so their bodies could be returned to their families. But her mind told her that they didn't have the time, especially with one of the five of them injured.

They hadn't gotten far when they heard the metallic clacking sound again, their mystery assailants were returning, and from the sound of things in greater force than before. Within seconds bolts of golden fire were starting to chase them down the path. Continuing to retreat Lieutenant Franklin and Sergeant Walkman spun around and fired back but not directly at the attackers. Instead they fired at an already tottering tree, bringing it crashing to the ground between them and the enemy.

"That should delay them for a little bit," Franklin said.

"We can but hope," Melinda replied, then winced slightly as a bolt of energy flew overhead from behind the fallen tree, impacting somewhere over their heads, raining small fragments of hot wood and boiling tree sap down around them.

"That was close, lets move people," Melinda said before resolutely resuming walking back in the direction of the waiting shuttle. Without speaking everyone followed her.

* * *

**TFS Charles Darwin**

**Planetary Orbit, Four Minutes Later**

Tension hung like a thick, oppressive mist in the air of the _Charles Darwin's_ bridge, the previous universal excitement at going to meat a spacefaring alien race for the first time having vanished, swept away by the reports from the surface about the unprovoked attack on the initial landing party. Replacing it was an air of tension, concern and a hint of fear.

Commander Tim Drake sat grim faced and determined in his command chair as he we waited for the alien vessel to emerge from hyperspace. The moment the landing party had radioed up that they had been attacked by unknown forces and were retreating to their shuttle having lost half the team, he'd ordered the crew to battle stations. Now the bridge was bathed in the blood-red glow of a full blown combat alert, shields were up at full strength and their limited weapons array was fully powered.

Tim just hoped that he didn't have to use his weapons that the attack on the landing party would prove to be nothing more than a grave misunderstanding, as if the incoming ship was a warship he knew he had little chance of defeating it. Though if the aliens did fire at him he would make sure they knew about it as while the _Charles Darwin_ had few weapons for a ship its size they were nothing to sneer at.

The sensors bleeped for attention, raising the tension level on the bridge by another notch. "Hyperspace window opening bearing one, one, three mark zero, zero, two," sensors reported. "Distance ten thousand kilometres. Confirm one ship, configuration unknown, moving to intercept us."

"Show me," Tim ordered. Instantly a holographic screen sprung into existence in front of him showing the incoming ship.

It was truly alien. A large central structure was shaped like an Egyptian pyramid and made of a golden metal which sat on a hexagonal base that supported a large ring structure that surrounded the ship to two thirds up the pyramid. It was big to. Tactical information scrolling along the bottom of the screen indicated that the alien vessel was eight hundred metres across and two hundred and fifty metres tall. It dwarfed the _Charles Darwin_ with its sheer vastness.

For a few moments nothing happened, the alien vessel came to a halt facing the _Charles Darwin_ and did nothing else, as if it was trying to intimidate the smaller vessel into reacting to its presence. Then two small bat-winged objects emerged from the base of the pyramid, before vectoring down into the planets atmosphere.

"Commander we're being hailed on broad spectrum subspace by the alien vessel, audio only," communications reported.

"Let's hear it," Tim replied.

The overhead speakers crackled for a moment. Then a strong voice came through. "Onak kree sha," it said. "Dolak jal'kek Goa'uld, Poseidon, na'kel nem da sha onak ju."

"What the hell are they saying," Colonel Swain wondered. "Can the translators make any sense of their language?"

"Negative, sir," communications replied. "It has some similarities to Ancient Egyptian, but there are a number of differences."

"Sir, the alien ship has just raised its shields," tactical reported. "There weapons systems are powering up."

"Can you tell what weapons systems they have," Tim asked.

"Negative," tactical answered. "Alien vessel is targeting us."

"Communications broadcast first contact protocols to the alien warship," Tim ordered. "Then open a channel."

"Aye sir, transmitting first contact pro…" communications broke off as a dull boom reverberated through the ship and the deck shuddered slightly beneath them.

"Alien vessel has opened fire sir," tactical reported as a second hit slammed into their forward shield, producing only a mild shudder in the deck as the shield absorbed the blow with relative ease.

"Sir we're getting a message from the shuttle down on the planet," communications reported as a third blast struck the ship. "The landing party isn't aboard yet and the pilots reporting that the two small craft launched from the warship are fighters, their strafing his position. The shuttle's shield is failing."

"Tell him to get out of their now," Tim ordered as his ship shuddered with slightly more force as another blast slammed into the shields. "Tactical lock weapons on the alien ship."

"Aye sir, weapons locked."

"Fire."

* * *

Instantly two thick ruby-red laser beams blasted forth from the _Charles Darwin's_ two forward weapons arrays. The beams slammed into the shields of the alien vessel almost faster than the eye could see, instantly the alien shields lit up immediately around the impact points of the beam. A rippling shimmer spread out across the shield illuminating a pseudo-crystalline structure as the shields absorbed and dispersed the lasers energy even as the beams evaporated.

Intense whitish-gold bolts of superheated plasma flew from the alien ship in retaliation slamming into the _Charles Darwin's _form hugging shields and vanished in a flash of radiation and energy that illuminated the entire forward hull of the ship. Despite the pounding the valiant little survey ship continued firing back, her hybrid forward weapons arrays changing to dual fire model, emitting a short burst of laser fire followed by three fierce orange bolts of fusion plasma from secondary emitters.

The alien shields flashed and rippled under the assault, and seemingly angered by the continuing resistance the alien vessel redoubled its assault, firing repeated streams of its own plasma bolts at the defiant Terran vessel.

* * *

Commander Timothy Drake held onto the arm rests of his chair as the _Charles Darwin_ rocked violently under the assault.

"Damage report," he ordered.

"Shields are down to sixty percent capacity and falling," Colonel Swain reported. "Reading minor thermal damage to the outer hull."

"Sir we're receiving a distress signal from the shuttle," communications added. "Pilot reports his engines have been hit and he's going down."

"Damn it," Tim cursed as the ship rocked with increased force and damage warnings screamed.

"Shields at forty percent," Swain reported. "Fires reported in all forward compartments, fire control systems responding. Sickbay reports casualties are coming in from all over the ship. Engineering reports that the number three containment field generator is damaged. Sir we can't stay here much longer, we're no match for that ship."

"I know, colonel. Send a message to the surface tell Professor Jackson that we have no choice but to withdraw, they are to seek shelter and avoid any contact with the aliens until we can get some help."

"Aye, sir."

"Helm break orbit, set course for the nearest fleet base and engage hyperdrive. Tactical launch missiles to cover our retreat."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

With as much haste as she could muster with her damaged systems the _Charles Darwin_ veered out of orbit, simultaneously ten mark-II Starwolf missiles birthed from their tubes in her belly and streaked towards the alien vessel at 95 PSL.

Immediately the aliens shifted their focus from the _Charles Darwin_ to the incoming projectiles, rapid fire gold bolts of energy shot out from secondary arrays on trajectories to intercept the missiles. But with the missiles closing at such a high speed and fired from such close range the aliens had little chance of downing them all, only one missile took a hit and vanished in a plume of vaporised metal. The other nine broke through the storm of plasma flak to slam into the alien shields and detonate with the white hot fury of high-yield fusion warheads. The alien shields glowed nova bright as the blast waves spread across their surface, clawing at the protective energy barrier with star-core hot plasma and neutron radiation.

With the alien sensors momentarily blinded by the fusion blasts the _Charles Darwin_ lowered her shields and opened a hyperspace window. As the wall of plasma around the alien cooled and dispersed the little survey and exploration vessel disappeared into the swirling maelstrom of the vortex, which folded closed behind her as if it had never been present at all.

* * *

**A Few Moments Later**

Commander Timothy Drake relaxed slightly in his command chair, feeling his limps shaking slightly as the adrenaline left his system leaving him feeling tired and weak. Navigation had reported that there was no sign of the alien vessel pursuing them, which in his opinion meant one of three things. One that their missiles had destroyed the alien warship – which was unlikely given the observed strength of its shields, two that they'd damaged the aliens hyperdrive so it was unable to pursue, or three that the aliens just weren't interested in pursuing them. Whatever the reason he was not really about to question it.

"Colonel Swain," he said after a moment.

"Yes, sir?"

"What's our status?"

"The fires in the forward sections of the ship have been extinguished," Colonel Richard Swain reported. "We've lost one of the computers main processor cores and two of our sensor arrays. Several shield emitters are fused and are inoperable.

"Engineering reports that they've been able to stabilise the containment field on the antimatter core, but they've had to shut down the number three generator, the other two are taking the strain and holding for now."

"Casualties?"

"Sickbay reports two dead, a dozen more injured. Three seriously."

"I see," Tim replied with a sigh. _Why,_ he thought, _why did those aliens whoever they are have to attack us on sight. We only want peaceful coexistence._

"Sir if I may be so bold, what are we going to do about the landing party," Swain asked. "I know we can't go back, we can't risk tangling with that alien warship again. But it doesn't feel right leaving them."

"I know what you mean, but what choice did we have? If we'd have stayed we'd have been destroyed. I just hope Professor Jackson and her team are able to dodge the aliens until we can return with help."

"Amen to that," Swain agreed before returning to his duties.

"Communications activate fleet priority channel to Federal Guard High Command on Earth. I need to speak with Fleet Admiral Kermanova. I'll take it in my quarters."

"Aye, sir."

"Colonel Swain," Tim said standing up. "You have the conn."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

**Landing Party**

**That Same Time**

Professor Melinda Jackson scowled softly as she finished relaying the last message from the _Charles Darwin_ to the survivors of her team and the two marines escorting them. She was still stunned by what had happened in the last half hour, this was not how she had expected a first contact would go. First they'd been attacked her on the ground, then the _Charles Darwin _had come under attack and their shuttle had been taken off without them, only to be shot down. They'd seen it trailing thick smoke go down beyond the distant mountain ridge, and had faintly heard the explosion as it hit the ground and its fuel cells ruptured.

"So what do we do now," Doctor Karen Ross their field medic and Melinda's fellow xenobiologist asked even as she tended to Marco's wounded shoulder with an emergency field medical kit.

"The only thing we can do," Lieutenant Franklin said. "We find somewhere to hide; we all know that when command hears about what's happened here they'll send someone to rescue us. And you can bet with the aggression the aliens have shown that whoever comes will come in force. We just need to hide out from the aliens till they get here."

"If I remember right the _Charles Darwin's _sensors picked up a system of caves sixty kilometres due north of here," Sergeant Walkman said thoughtfully even as he used a transceiver built into his armour to establish a link between his implant and the satellites still in orbit. With a single mental command to his implant he wirelessly relayed the data from the satellite data to everyone else's implants.

"It's a long way on foot and its very rough terrain," Melinda pointed out studying the translucent map that seemed to float in front of her eyes. The caves Sergeant Walkman was on about were in the foothills of a volcanic mountain range that crossed from east to west on the northern half of this continent. To get there they would have to track through the densest part of the forest, cross several high, steep ridges and cross a glacier fed river.

"But they might be our only chance," Franklin pointed out. "Its along way from the alien camp, I would be very surprised if they followed us all the way there. Plus it's a good location sheltered with a ready supply of water. For food we still have our ration packs."

"True," Melinda said. "Okay we'll go there. Karen do you think Marco will be able to do manage the trip."

"Don't worry about me, Melinda," Doctor Marco Collingwood replied. "I'll manage."

"Just let me finish treating this wound first," Karen added as she waved a tissue regenerator repeatedly over the minor burn. "Another few minutes and I'll be done. Then we can set off. One thing I am concerned about though is our helmets; the oxygen filters will only continue to work for a day or two."

Melinda blinked away the map and checked the portable sensor she wore on her wrist. "The air is breathable," she said. "No measurable toxins, viruses or other harmful substances present. We can take off our helmets till we need them."

To make her point she used her implant to relay the deactivation command to her metallic collar around her neck. Immediately the helmet deactivated, everything retracting into the collar as if it had never been present at all. One by one the rest of the surviving team did the same – even the two marines – and were all greeted by a cacophony of smells that their helmets had previously screened out.

For a few moments they remained silent listening to the sounds of a living, breathing forest, the calling of animals and the rustling of leaves in the breeze, while Karen completed work on repairing Marco's injury.

"I'm done," Karen said at last putting her equipment back in the medical kit and putting it back over her shoulders. As she did so Marco got back to his feet and stretched as much as he could as even though the injury had been repaired he would be a little sore for awhile yet.

"Good," Melinda replied. "Okay then people lets get going, we've got a long way to go."

"Walkman take point," Lieutenant Franklin ordered.

"Yes, sir," Walkman replied as everyone got up and made themselves as ready as they could for the long difficult trek ahead of them.

Sergeant Walkman gave everyone a quick glance and once he was satisfied that they were all okay he started walking heading due north. One by one everyone followed until they had all melted into the shaded humidity of the forest, on their way towards where they hoped they would be safe until someone from home came to save them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Federal Guard High Command**

**Geneva, Terra**

**Twenty Minutes Later**

Fleet Admiral Svetlana Kermanova resisted the impulse to sigh as she gazed out of her office window at the gleaming spires and skyscrapers of the capital city of the Federation; the location of the government that had ruled since the inception of the Federation during the aftermath of the widespread Colonial Independence Wars.Night had descended on the city, so all the buildings were lit up brilliantly from within and gleamed like a billion gems. The peaceful scene was a sharp counterpoint to her turbulent thoughts, thoughts spawned by the conversation she had just had with Commander Drake of the _Charles Darwin._

When she had first been informed that the small survey ship had encountered an alien ship she had been as excited as the young lieutenant who'd called her from fleet comm. Finally after all these centuries they would be meeting another spacefaring civilisation for the very first time. A meeting that everyone had hoped would lead to peaceful, meaningful relations that everyone could benefit from. Now it appeared that that optimism had been catastrophically misplaced, the aliens had opened fire on the _Charles Darwin _without provocation. Commander Drake and his crew had been lucky to escape with their lives, as it was they had been forced to leave their landing party on the planets surface. A landing party that was sure to now be hunted.

It was a situation that Svetlana knew she could never allow no one got away with firing on a Federal Guard ship without severe consequences. All the pirates and separatist movements in the Federation knew that, and now it appeared they were going have to teach some aliens that lesson as well. At the same time they would have to rescue the people trapped on the surface of the planet the _Charles Darwin_ had gone to explore.

But there was a problem; if she took action against the unknown but obviously powerful alien warship then she could be responsible for starting a war with a civilisation that they knew nothing about. An interstellar war on that scale was most definitely not something to be welcomed, and while she knew the Federal Guard would give a good accounting of themselves, she was not deluded enough to think that they were really ready for a war on that kind of scale.

Svetlana found herself in a position that she absolutely hated, if she ordered warships into action against the aliens it could lead to interstellar war. But doing nothing was completely unacceptable, and would be both a violation of her oath as a soldier and the trust placed in the Federal Guard by the people of the Federation. A trust to protect them no matter what. It was a classic damned if she did something and damned if she didn't situation.

After a few moments of wrestling with the dilemma she sighed. This was not a decision that she could make on her own, far too much was at stake. There was only one person in the Federation with the authority to make this particular call. Turning back to her desk she reached out and pressed a button on the desk comm. unit.

"This is Admiral Kermanova," she said her Russian accent slightly thicker than it normally was. "Contact the president's office; tell them I need to speak to President Denson and Minister Jamison immediately. Tell them it's on a matter of the utmost urgency."

"Aye ma'am," a young officer in the communications section acknowledged immediately. _Hopefully Denson and Jamison will see things my way, that we have to rescue the survey team regardless of the consequences,_ she thought. _Because if they don't then I don't have the foggiest idea what we are going to do._

* * *

**President Denson's Office**

**A Short Time Later**

Federation President Kieran Denson and Defence Minister Harry Jamison listened in silent shock and growing anger to the report that Admiral Kermanova was relaying to them, how the long hoped for first contact with another spacefaring race had gone catastrophically wrong. Though the features of the middle aged Russian woman were composed as a life size 3D hologram of her stood in front of them they could tell that she was not very happy with the situation. And neither were they.

"We have to do something, Mr President," Admiral Kermanova said her voice as cold as the winters in the country from which she sprung. "We cannot leave the survey team trapped on that planet, and neither can we let an unprovoked attack on one of our ships go unanswered."

"I agree, admiral," Denson said. "And I understand what you are saying, but are the lives of five people worth risking interstellar war over worth it? Particularly a war with a species that we know absolutely nothing about."

"Five lives of five hundred it is no different, sir," Svetlana replied. "The Federal Guard's duty to them is simple, they are in trouble they need our help. So we must provide it."

"I understand that admiral and I am aware of your obligation, I have that same obligation as you well know," Denson replied. "But I also have a bigger obligation and that is the welfare of the Federation as a whole. Mush as I want to save those five people it would be dangerous and foolish to risk a war in the process."

"Mr President it could be argued that the aliens attack on the _Charles Darwin_ is already a declaration of war against us."

"And it could be that only happened after we failed to respond to a warning," Denson shot back. "Correct me if I'm wrong admiral but didn't the aliens send a message to the _Charles Darwin_."

"That they did, Mr President," Svetlana agreed. "But it was in a language that could not be understood, plus immediately after sending the message the alien ship raised its shields and powered up its weapons systems. They did not give Commander Drake and his crew enough time to respond to their attempt at communication before opening fire."

"If I may interject," Jamison said speaking for the first time. "Admiral Kermanova has a point, the shortness of time between the alien warship transmitting its message and opening fire is not sufficient for a warning. It is more likely that the alien commander was demanding the immediate surrender of the _Charles Darwin._ There is also the fact that the aliens on the surface made no attempt at contacting the survey party instead attacked them immediately."

"So you support sending a relief force, Harry," Denson asked.

"Yes, Kieran I do," Jamison replied. "But I also agree with you that we have to be cautious in our handling of this situation. We are not ready for a large scale interstellar war, the manpower and resources are simply not there at this time. But there is a third option."

"And what is that, Harry?"

"Simple. We send a number of ships to the planet in question to extract the survivors of the survey team," Jamison answered. "But we also send along a full diplomatic team, with orders to make peaceful contact with the alien civilisation."

"That is possible," Admiral Kermanova agreed. "In fact I believe that a diplomatic team is due to return from clearing up the asteroid mining dispute at Wolf 359 in the next few hours. The nearest major fleet base to the frontier area facing the planet where the _Charles Darwin_ encountered the aliens is Epsilon Eridani. It should be a simple matter to divert the ambassador's party to there."

Kieran Denson sighed softly and leaned back in his chair considering the council of both the admiral and his defence minister. He liked the idea of sending a diplomatic envoy to speak with the aliens, an envoy that he hoped would be able to clear up any misunderstandings that may have occurred and pave the way for a lasting peace. But he also knew that Admiral Kermanova would insist on sending a number of warships along with any mission that was mounted, to protect the ambassador and rescue the people trapped on the planet.

Like all good politicians he weighed up his options, before finally making his decision. "Alright," he said. "We will send a diplomatic envoy to speak with the aliens and hopefully establish diplomatic relations. As for the stranded survey team, admiral you may send warships to retrieve them as well as protect the diplomats.

"But I will make one thing clear. I want the rules of engagement to be very strict, admiral. The warships commanders must be willing to give the diplomats a chance to do their job. They are not to act aggressively towards the aliens unless fired upon first. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly, sir."

"Good. How long will it take to gather a sufficiently large force of ships?"

"I can have a sufficiently large task force of ships ready to depart Epsilon Eridani within twelve hours, Mr President," Admiral Kermanova replied.

"Very well. I will order the diplomatic party from Wolf 359 to divert to Epsilon Eridani instead of returning here. In the meantime commence preparations for the dispatch of the rescue force."

"Yes Mr President," Kermanova acknowledged a moment before Denson closed the communications channel down making her hologram turn transparent before fading away completely.

For a moment Denson sat there in silence, conscious of the fact that he had just made a decision that could alter the course of Human history. It was a huge burden to bear, but at the end of the day he was president, chosen by the people of the twenty five inhabited star systems in the Federation to be their leader. It was his job to make these kinds of decisions.

"I hope this goes well, Harry," he said at last.

"I'm sure it will go fine, Kieran," Harry Jamison replied. "You've done what needs to be done; sitting on the sidelines doing nothing was not really an option. Our political opponents would have had a field day with it if as soon as they found out about the attack on the _Charles Darwin._"

"I know. That doesn't make the decision any easier," Denson answered before straightening up in his chair. "I suppose I better get on with this," he said before keying his desk top comm. unit opening a link to his secretary. "Ms Hall get me the diplomatic service please," he said.

"Yes, Mr President."

* * *

**Epsilon Eridani **

**Two Hours Later**

The space above the second planet of the Epsilon Eridani system was packed with traffic of all descriptions. Starships from small pleasure craft, to the sleek, deadly forms of warships to the huge, unwieldy bulk of interstellar super-freighters shared parking and holding orbits above the bustling colony planet. A planet that was home to some of the richest deposits of trinium ever found within the Federations boarders.

From the side of one of the warships – a Trafalgar-class heavy cruiser called the _Railion_ – a small shuttle emerged and began threading its way through the bustling orbital lanes and the rings of Orbital Defence Platforms and space docks towards the planets northern pole. Above which hung one of the largest Federal Guard space stations ever constructed and the command station for the Fifth Fleet.

* * *

In the passenger seat of the Kite-class combat/inter-orbit shuttle Commander Aaron Larsen sat in thoughtful silence as he gazed out the forward view ports at the approaching space station. He couldn't help but wonder why he had abruptly been ordered to report to Fifth Fleet CO Admiral Alexander Quinton, barely an hour before he and his crew had been due to take the _Railion_ out of orbit for a two month patrol of the outer systems, especially the newest colonies which were very vulnerable to attack from pirates and other unsavoury groups.

The sudden nature of the summons was more than enough to tell him that something really big was going down. Something that Admiral Quinton wanted him – and the firepower commanded by a heavy cruiser for. That alone was enough to set off a warning klaxon in his head, heavy cruisers and battleships were only called upon to deal with situations where serious combat was expected.

_Whatever is going on I'll soon know,_ he thought as the station came into view, sitting in geostationary polar orbit.

"Lieutenant how long until we dock," he asked the young pilot operating the shuttles controls. Normally he would use his implant for such a routine query but the shuttle had no internal wireless data network - like a Jaguar fighter the only interface was with the pilot alone – making the complex web of nanotech circuitry built into his skull next to useless.

"Five minutes, sir," the pilot replied immediately. "We're just passing through the sentry line… now." As the lieutenant spoke they passed through the ring of sentry drones that formed the stations outer defence line.

"Excellent," Aaron replied leaning back in his seat. "Let me know when we're about to land."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

**Five Minutes Later**

"Landing complete, sir," the young pilot reported turning slightly to look over at his commanding officer.

"Very good, lieutenant," Aaron replied standing up. "Supervise the refuelling of the shuttle, I shouldn't be gone long."

"Aye, sir," the younger man replied as Aaron made his way to the hatch and keyed it open.

Taking a deep breath he stepped out of the shuttle and stumbled as a familiar sudden decrease in weight made its presence known as he stepped into the Terra normal gravity of the space station. Like everyone on the _Railion_ he was Centauran and thus genetically engineered for the high surface gravity of Alpha Centauri IV, a gravity field that on the _Railion_ was precisely duplicated; suddenly stepping from the level of his gravity that his engineered body considered normal to the lower gravity that the rest of the Terran race called normal was always a little disorientating for him and for others from his world. _Though after twenty years in the Federal Guard you'd think I'd be used to changes in gravity by now,_ he thought, _at least I didn't fall flat on my face like the first time I experienced 'normal' gravity._

"But I still hate normal gravity," he muttered to himself as he started along the walkway that ran along the gallery of landing platforms, ignoring the noise of the bay as dock workers and robots went about the normal day to day activities, none showing any sign that anything major was up. Certainly nothing that could explain his mysterious summons to see Admiral Quinton.

"Whatever is going on it should be interesting," Aaron said softly to himself as he left the hanger bay and made his way to the closest transport tube station for a trip to the core and his meeting with Alexander Quinton. A meeting that would hopefully reveal to him exactly what was going on, and what the admiral wanted from him and his ship.

* * *

Like all Federal Guard space stations the Epsilon station was built in a shape resembling a starfish from Terra's oceans. Each six kilometre long arm of the station was a mass of hanger bays, cargo bays, storage silos and fabrication facilities, whereas the core was very different. The core was filled with crew quarters, command and communications areas, and the massive fusion reactors that provided the station with the majority of its power.

Stepping off the transport tube Commander Larsen was surprised to find Admiral Quinton waiting for him. He had expected that the admiral would have had one of his staff waiting for him, not come to the tube station himself.

"Admiral," Aaron said straightening to attention.

"Stand easy, commander," Admiral Quinton replied in an accent that placed his planet of origin as the very one they were orbiting. _Must make it easy for him to see his family,_ Aaron thoughts as he shifted to at ease posture. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy; he hadn't seen his family on anything but subspace comm. in nearly a year. He'd missed his son's birthday – which he deeply regretted. Though he'd make it up to his son when he finally got some shore leave. "Come with me," Quinton continued.

"Aye, sir," Aaron acknowledged as his superior started walking away, heading into a secure area of the stations core.

Aaron followed closely behind him but kept his questions about what was going on to himself. Something told him that the admiral would not give any answers until he was ready to do so, or they were in a place where they could not be easily overheard.

* * *

It took them another four minutes to get to their destination, a small briefing room just off the space stations operations centre. Arriving in the company of the admiral, Aaron Larsen was surprised to find four other commanders in the room. He didn't recognise them, but that was no surprise. The _Railion_ had only been assigned to the Fifth Fleet relatively recently, he hadn't had chance to get to know many of his fellow commanders yet.

"Please be seated, commander," Admiral Quinton ordered. As Aaron did as he was bid, settling down in the closest free chair and exchanging nods of greeting with his peers, Quinton sat down at the head of the table and using his implant ordered the room doors to close and lock.

Then he brought the meeting to order. "Thank you all for coming," he said looking around at the assembled commanders. "I am sure you are all curious about why you have been asked here at such short notice."

"The thought has crossed our minds, sir," Commander Alison Peters of the destroyer _Achilles_ replied.

"The reason is you have all been chosen for a mission, a very important mission to a planet previously unknown to us," Quinton informed them.

"We're being sent on an exploration mission," Aaron asked. "No disrespect sir but isn't that the job of the survey fleet?"

"None taken, commander. A survey ship the _Charles Darwin_ has already been to the planet in question. It is what happened there a few hours ago that is reason you are all being sent there. I would ask that you refrain from any questions until after I have finished telling and showing you what happened on that planet and what we want you to do."

Aaron and his fellows listened intently as Admiral Quinton began a detailed explanation as to why they had been summoned here so abruptly and why they were to go to a planet that had only just been visited by a survey ship.

He explained how the _Charles Darwin_ had gone to the system, how they had discovered the presence of a primitive colony of Humans on the planet in question and not been able to find anything to explain how they got there. How Professor Melinda Jackson had led a survey team down to the planet, how the survey team had come under attack from unknown armoured figures wielding powerful plasma-based energy weapons. How they had just beaten back their attackers when an alien warship appeared in orbit and attacked the _Charles Darwin_ while a pair of fighters launched at the planet downed the survey team's shuttle before the team could retreat to it stranding them on the planet.

Finally he concluded with how the _Charles Darwin_ had been forced to break orbit of the planet and flee into hyperspace to escape destruction at the hands of the unknown but obviously powerful alien warship, leaving the survey team stranded on the planet.

"Now it is obvious that we cannot leave the survivors of the survey team to their fate," Quinton said. "Nor can we allow an unprovoked attack on one of our ships to go unchallenged. Fleet Admiral Kermanova and President Denson have agreed that a relief force must be dispatched to rescue the survey team and if necessary engage the alien ship in battle."

"I take it we're that relief force," Aaron said his mind reeling from everything that they had just been told. Finally after all these centuries they had encountered another spacefaring race – albeit one that seemed to be very hostile to them for some unknown reason.

"That is correct, commander," Quinton replied. "The five of you command the most combat ready ships we have in interception range at such short notice. Your mission will be to rescue the trapped survey team, you are not to engage the aliens unless forced to do so. A diplomat courier ship is on its way here as we speak, they should arrive within an hour, they will accompany you and attempt to make peaceful contact with the aliens."

"And if the alien warship refuses peaceful contact," Commander Peters asked.

"Then you teach them the price for attacking us," Quinton replied. "If they refuse peace then you are to blast them out of the stars. One way or other these aliens whoever or whatever they are must be made to understand that no one can be allowed to fire on a Terran vessel without incurring the most severe consequences. Am I perfectly clear?"

"Yes, sir," all five gathered commanders replied.

"Excellent."

"On question if I may, sir," Commander Peters said. "Who will be in charge of our little battle group?"

"Commander Larsen will be in charge," Quinton answered. "The _Railion_ is the strongest ship in the task force so the normal rules for such instances applies."

All five commanders nodded in understanding, it was standard procedure that when a group of ships were working together the commander of the ship with tactical superiority would be in charge, unless one of the other ships was led by someone above commanders rank, like a commodore or an admiral something which did not apply in this case.

"Are there anymore questions?" Quinton asked. No one spoke and he smiled seeing that everyone understood what was expected of them. "Then you can return to your ships. You'll break orbit as soon as the diplomatic team arrives."

TFS Railion

**One Hour Later**

Commander Aaron Larsen sighed to himself as he stepped onto the bridge of the heavy cruiser that had been his command for the last four years and made his way to the command chair. The responsibilities of his mission weighed heavily on his broad shoulders, he had never commanded more than one warship before, let alone commanded a mission of such importance and potential historical significance.

He just hoped that the aliens wouldn't be hostile to them, that the attack on the _Charles Darwin _had been caused by some huge and unknown misunderstanding. Though if the aliens did prove aggressive then he was confident that between the destroyers and the _Railion_ they would make short work of the alien warship.

"Status report," he ordered.

"All ships in formation, sir. The diplomatic transport has joined the squadron and is sitting in our sensor shadow on the starboard side," sensors reported.

"Engineering reports both fusion and antimatter reactors are stable and ready for possible combat action," Colonel Rebecca Harris added from the first officer's station. "All weapons and defensive systems are fully operational and ready to be activated at a moments notice."

"Destination coordinates locked into navigational computer, sir," the helmsman answered, "ready to enter hyperspace on your command."

"Very good, communications contact the other ships and request status reports," Aaron ordered.

"Aye, sir," communications replied and carried out the task. For a few moments there was nothing more beyond the normal background sounds that were part of a living, breathing starship. The faint swish of the air circulation systems, the humming sound of machinery doing its job and the distant almost inaudible rumble of the network of fusion and antimatter reactor cores that provided the _Railion_ with more than enough power for all her systems.

Finally communications spoke again. "All ships report ready to enter hyperspace, commander," the officer reported.

Aaron smiled. "Then lets get this show on the road," he said. "Signal the fleet to break orbit and jump to hyperspace."

"Aye, sir."

* * *

With easy grace the _Railion_, the four destroyers assigned to support her and the small diplomatic courier – that looked tiny and insignificant compared to the warships – broke orbit of Epsilon Eridani II. Gliding out into open space in a close X formation with the _Railion_ and the small courier she was protecting being the centre point of the formation the five warships accelerated to their maximum cruising speed of 90 PSL.

Combining the subspace fields produced by their activating hyperdrives the ships concentrated the fields on a large area of space ahead of them, subjecting that localised area of space-time to tremendous stresses causing it to distort and warp. A massive hyperspace window burst into existence, a maelstrom of light and subspace energy spilling into normal space.

Simultaneously all six ships seemed to stretch then vanished into the window which then immediately folded closed, returning the structure of space-time to normal behind them, even as the ships raced out of the Epsilon Eridani system at a speed many times greater than the speed of light.

The Federal Guards diplomatic and rescue mission was on.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Charles Darwin Landing Party**

**That Same Time**

Lieutenant Peter Franklin ducked behind a tree as a brilliant golden plasma bolt grazed past him to slam into a rock, releasing a puff of smoke, flame and flinging hot chips of rock everywhere. Approaching them from behind came four more of the armoured figures that had ambushed them earlier, firing their staff-like weapons as they came. 

The aliens had been pursuing him and other surviving members of the landing party relentlessly for the last few hours, barely giving them anytime to rest. And it was taking its toll, all of them were tired; and to make matters worse both his and Sergeant Walkman's pulse rifles were starting to run dry, they were both on their last helium cartridges and power cells. _What I wouldn't give for a suit of combat armour not this light battle uniform and some additional power cells and fuel cartridges,_ he thought listening carefully to the heavy clank of the aliens as they came closer.

Taking his last grenade from its slot on his belt he counted down the seconds, then armed the grenade, nipped around the tree and threw it at the aliens. Having learned from previous episodes in the ongoing battle of this pursuit, the alien soldiers immediately started to scatter when they saw the grenade flying at them. Not that it did them any good, the small device landed in their midst and instantly detonated in a flash of plasma flame and concussive force that vaporised two of the aliens. Simultaneously the concussion wave threw the other two flying through the air to land with bone jarring impacts on the ground.

Carefully he raised his pulse rifle ready to deal with the remaining two aliens if they got up – and grimaced when he saw the power indicator showed barely 20 charge remaining in the power cell. Neither alien moved, lying still and seemingly lifeless on the ground where they had fallen. Mentioning to Sergeant Walkman to cover him he slipped out from behind the tree and approached his downed enemy. Neither alien moved both were either unconscious or dead, still he kept his rifle ready just in case they were merely playing possum.

In moments he was on top of them, one of the alien soldiers was clearly dead a stick it had landed on had punched right through its armour at an odd angle and came out through the chest armour. The stick was coating in red – surprisingly Human looking blood. Then something moved on the alien down in what would be a Human's abdomen, something small and snake like eased itself out of the armour. It looked up at him with small black eyes filled with intelligence and malevolence, and opened a multipart mouth before hissing.

"What the hell is that?" Franklin said as the snake-like creature leapt at him, aiming to bury itself in his neck. Instead it slammed into the side of his deployed helmet with a loud clang that made him wince slightly from the volume. The creature ricocheted off the helmet and hit the ground, where it lay twitching slightly, obviously stunned by the impact. 

Looking at the creature Franklin shuddered and knew somehow that if that thing had hit his neck it would not have been good. Glaring at the creature he raised one his booted feet up and brought it down on the twitching frail looking creature. With almost all of his two hundred and twenty five pounds of muscular bodyweight behind it, the blow crushed the creature's spine, drawing a squeal from it, even as its life was snuffed out.

Turning his attention away from the dead creature, Franklin looked at the other armoured figure. Just in time to see small involuntary movements in its arms and legs – it was obviously stunned but coming around. Grinning at the prospect of a prisoner – which would hopefully dissuade the aliens from following further – he kicked away the staff-like weapon and searched the alien for other weapons. He removed a wicked looking split blade knife from a sheath on the alien's belt and what he guessed was a pistol like the one he had on his right hip, though this was a very bizarre design shaped like a coiled cobra.

During his examination he noticed a tiny switch at the base of the alien's neck, and curious he pressed it. Immediately the helmet retracted down into the collar in the same way his helmet would and Franklin recoiled in surprise at what he saw.

The alien was Human.

He was gazing on the face of a young man who looked to be Caucasian with a little bit of Asian mixed in. On the young mans forehead was a tattoo in the shape of a trident. His age was hard to determine but Franklin guessed he couldn't have been much older than twenty-five.

At that moment the young man groaned and a pair of greyish green eyes opened, in the same motion Franklin brought his pulse rifle around so its muzzle was pointed right between the young mans eyes. He knew that if he fired at the Human looking alien at this range there would be not much left of his skull as the plasma bolt go right through eviscerating skin, flesh and bone alike.

"Get up," he ordered. The Human-looking man just glared at him but Franklin was sure he saw a flash of confusion on his face as he didn't understand his words. Franklin gestured with his pulse rifle. "Get up," he ordered again.

"Heshak," his prisoner snarled back and glaring in away that suggested he expected Franklin to be afraid of him and was a bit surprised that he wasn't.

"Get up," Franklin said again and this time grabbed the other mans arm and pulled him upright with all his strength, while he was no Centauran he like all marines was no slouch in the physical strength department. "Move," he added moving behind his prisoner and poking him in the back with his rifle to make his point. The man stumbled forward but started walking apparently conscious of the fact that if he tried to escape he would be shot in the back from point blank range.

"Do'sha kree chi'van," the prisoner said in an aggressive tone of voice.

"I don't know what you just said, but shut up," Franklin said pushing him forward a bit further. As he did so Sergeant Walkman appeared from where he had been crouching behind a log ready to provide covering fire should it have been necessary. Like him Walkman had his helmet active and deployed to use the HUD, and though he could not see Walkman's face it was obvious from the way the sergeant stagger back that he was surprised by the Human-look of the prisoner.

"I know, sergeant it's a bit shocking," Franklin said. "But those armoured figures who've been shooting at us ever since we got here are Human."

"If that's so why are they attacking us," Walkman wondered as he kept his own pulse rifle levelled at their prisoner's chest.

"I don't know. I would ask him but he doesn't seem to understand standard," Franklin said nodding at his seething prisoner, who was wise enough not to try anything stupid given he was under the muzzles of two pulse rifles. "Tie him up then we can get Professor Jackson and the others and resume our journey – with a prisoner in tow."

"Yes sir," Walkman replied before slinging his pulse rifle over his shoulder on its carry strap, and fishing on his belt for the standard issue mono-carbon 60 rope he had stored in one of the pouches.

It was at that moment of distraction that their erstwhile prisoner struck. In a single powerful motion the prisoner pushed Sergeant Walkman with enough force that the marine was sent sprawling onto his back, in almost the same motion the prisoner spun around and slammed an arm into the side of Lieutenant Franklin's helmet with immense force that seemed to be all out of proportion with his size. The impact made the helmet ring like a bell while the impacted force sent the lieutenant sprawling to lay on the ground dazed and ears ringing with a tinnitus like effect.

Glaring the Human-looking alien turned and started to run back towards where his equipment and dead colleagues lay, moving surprisingly fast for someone burdened down with heavy metal armour. He would have gotten there had Walkman not recovered from his surprise and momentary stun, sat up and brought his pulse rifle to bear on the fleeing prisoner.

"Stop," Walkman ordered loudly but the enemy ignored him, so he squeezed the trigger on his rifle. The familiar dense red plasma pulse flew from the muzzle and slammed into the small of the fleeing prisoners back, smashing through his armour and searing through skin a bone to severe his spinal cord, while simultaneously sending a massive electromagnetic and thermal shock up the spin into the brain. The force of the blast knocked the warrior flying forward, though he was dead before he hit the ground.

Awkwardly Walkman got to his feet and sighed, he wished that the prisoner hadn't forced him to do that. It would have been nice to have someone to interrogate down the line to find out just what exactly was going on on this planet, assuming of course one of the scientists had been able to translate whatever language it was these hostile Human-looking aliens spoke. Now it appeared answers were going to have to wait a little bit longer, hopefully the next time they captured one of the enemy, they would be able to hold onto him for more than thirty seconds.

Pushing the thoughts of the now dead prisoner out of his mind Walkman moved over to where Lieutenant Franklin lay on his side. "Sir are you alright," he asked.

"Yeah," Franklin replied straightening up into a sitting posture while shaking his head to clear the residual disorientation. "Damn that guy could hit," he continued as he worked to get his feet back under him. "I take it you shot him?"

"Yes sir, I didn't have any choice he was almost to his weapons and refused to stop when I ordered him to," Walkman answered apologetically. "I'm sorry sir I know you wanted a prisoner."

"It's alright, sergeant," Franklin told his junior officer as he finally succeeded in getting back to his feet. Listening intently he smiled behind his helmet visor as he heard no more approaching footsteps, hopefully that last group of four would be the last they would see of juggernaut like armoured figures for a bit.

"Looks like there's no more of them coming, sir," Walkman said.

"It does, so let's not question it. We better go and grab the professor and the rest of the landing party before more of these other Humans/Aliens or whatever they are show up. It should give us enough time to build up a decent lead, and then maybe we can all have a rest."

"We can but hope, sir," Walkman agreed as the two marines moved towards the large formation of rocks and trees where Professor Jackson and the other surviving scientists of the landing party were waiting for them.

* * *

**Planetary Orbit**

**A Few Moments Later**

High above the northern pole of the planets moon a hyperspace window burst into existence. Emerging from the swirling whirlpool of light and energy was a second ship almost identical to the ship that had engaged the _Charles Darwin_, only this ship was twenty percent larger than the first.

Emerging from the hyperspace window with it were four smaller ships – each about fifteen metres long and five metres high. As the window evaporated as if it had never been the four smaller ships feel into a protective formation around the bigger ship as it glided past the moon and into high planetary orbit, with the first warship moving up to greet it and the most important person it carried.

* * *

Sitting on the throne at the back of the command centre or pel'tac of the newly arrived warship Lady Amphitrite, queen to the System Lord Poseidon, smiled slightly. At last she was here, arriving at her lord and masters request to determine just who the Humans were who had dared to trespass on their domain. Humans who wielded an unknown but obviously powerful technology given that the Ha'tak initially sent to deal with the interloper had lost thirty percent of its shield strength in a brief battle before the cowardly Human ship withdrew.

"Milady we are being hailed by the garrison commander on the planet," the Jaffa operating the main console reported respectfully to his goddess.

"**Very well," **Amphitrite answered. **"I will speak with him."**

"Yes milady," the Jaffa replied manipulating the console controls.

Immediately the triangular window at the front of the pel'tac shimmered, switching from view port to display mode. The image of a Jaffa appeared on the screen back dropped by a plane stone wall and illuminated by the flickering light of the oil burners that were a standard feature of Goa'uld facilities all across the galaxy.

"**Report Jaffa,"** Amphitrite ordered as the Jaffa bowed to her showing the respect that she as a goddess was due.

"Milady our patrols are continuing to pursue the Human intruders through the jungle," the garrison commander reported. "However the intruders are very well armed and all attempts to capture them have so far failed. I am having to divert guards from the supervising the slaves mining the naquada to the search."

Amphitrite frowned slightly, displeased. This planet was the newest world in her's and Lord Poseidon's domain, its rich veins of naquada had never been tapped before and promised to fuel their ambitions to rise higher among the ranks of the System Lords. Unfortunately the slaves brought to this planet had only recently been subjugated and could prove temperamental and disobedient to the will of their gods. They could not really afford to take guards away from supervising the slaves as they mined the precious mineral for very long, else the slaves might start getting ideas.

"**I want those intruders found and captured, immediately,"**she said.

"We are doing our best to capture them, milady but this is only a small garrison, we do not have th…."

"**I have had enough of your excuses. You will find the intruders within the next two hours and bring them to me or you will face my wrath." **

The Jaffa on the screen visibly shuddered in fear as well he should. The wrath of a god or goddess was something to be avoided if at all possible. "Yes milady," the Jaffa answered. "Respectfully I request that you dispatch reinforcements to assist us."

Amphitrite sighed. **"Very well,"**she replied. **"I will send down an additional group of Jaffa and a squadron of gliders to assist you. Use them wisely or my wrath will be terrible."**

"Yes milady, we will do our best."

"**You better,"** Amphitrite said menacingly, before making a hand gesture. A gesture that was a signal to the Jaffa at the main console to break the communications link; the Jaffa obeyed and closed the channel. Amphitrite leaned back in her throne. 

"**Order squads two and three down to the planet,"** she ordered. **"Then launch a squadron of gliders to commence low altitude scans of the forest. They are to locate the intruders and direct the ground parties to them."**

"Yes milady."

* * *

Within moment's twenty small fighters – known and feared across the galaxy as death gliders – launched from the hanger bay in the lower part of the pyramid of Amphitrite's flagship. Forming up the gliders vectored away from the imposing form of the Goa'uld Mothership and headed down into the atmosphere of the planet.

Simultaneously a brilliant silvery white energy beam birthed from a section of the ships hull and streaked down to the planet, making contact with the top of the pyramid far below. The connection established a denser packet of light departed the mothership, streaking down the carrier beam, as the first handful of Jaffa reinforcements began their journey down. A journey that they believed would lead to the capture and interrogation of the Human interlopers who had dared to violate their god's domain.

* * *

**TFS Railion**

**In Hyperspace, Sometime Later**

Commander Aaron Larsen frowned slightly as he read through the full report from the _Charles Darwin_ on the encounter with the alien warship. It was not nice reading, according to the report – and data from the _Darwin's_ data recorder – the survey ship had not done anything overly provocative. They had been at battle stations in response to the unprovoked attack on their landing party – an action that Aaron could well understand as he would have done the same in Commander Drake's position – so the survey ships shields had been up.

But aside from that purely defensive stance the _Charles Darwin_ had taken no aggressive action, indeed they had transmitted a first contact comm. package to the alien warship. And had promptly been fired on; fired on with what the _Darwin's_ sensors identified as plasma bolts of about equal strength to a standard burst from a fusion blaster. _At least these aliens whoever they are don't seem to be that different to us in weapons technology,_ Aaron thought before turning his attention to the scans of the alien ship.

They were not particularly revealing. The alien ships shields had made it difficult for the _Charles Darwin's_ sensors to get any real detail on the alien vessel, beyond power emissions. Basically Aaron and his fellow commanders would be facing the aliens with only the most basic information available on the capabilities of their warships and weapons.

Aaron sighed softly and with a command from his implant closed the file, making the holographic screen floating in front of him vanished with all the fuss of a bursting soap bubble. Leaning back in his comfortably padded chair he gazed around his ready room while musing about the coming encounter with the aliens – assuming they were still there. 

The task force would reach its destination within two hours – their combined hyperspace fields allowing all six ships to travel faster than they would have been capable of going alone. He hoped the diplomats would be successful in making peaceful contact with the aliens as he would prefer to avoid engaging them in combat if he could avoid it. Though if the aliens did attack him he would be sure to teach them the depth of the mistake they had made by antagonising the Federation.

At that moment his wristcom vibrated for attention. Aaron tapped the offending object. "Yes?" he said.

"Excuse me for disturbing you, sir but we're receiving a hail from _Crystal Dove_," Colonel Harris said from where she had the bridge. "Ambassador Trainer would like to have a word with you."

"Very well, put him through," Aaron replied inwardly groaning, he hated dealing with diplomats. They always gave him something of a headache.

"Aye sir," Harris replied.

A moment later a section of air on the opposite side of his desk shimmered in the shape of a person before solidifying and resolving into a live three dimensional holographic transmission of Ambassador Jeremy Trainer – the diplomat who would be attempting to make contact with the aliens.

"Ambassador Trainer what can I do for you," Aaron asked.

"Commander Larsen I'm sure your busy getting ready for our mission so I wont keep you to long," Trainer replied. "In fact it is about our mission that I wish to speak to you, I believe we need to sort out exactly how we are going to deal with the aliens when we emerge from hyperspace."

"My orders are quite clear, ambassador," Aaron answered. "We are to attempt to make peaceful contact with the aliens if at all possible."

"Good. This is a delicate situation commander, I believe it would be appropriate if we dropped out of hyperspace outside the system and let my ship go in alone. I don't want to spook the aliens by coming out of hyperspace in the company of a group of heavily armed warships; it kind of contradicts the message of peace I have to convey."

Aaron frowned he didn't like that idea at all. "Are you sure that is wise ambassador," he asked. "The shields on your ship are not very strong, if the aliens open fire on you you'll not be able to withstand more than a handful of hits. You could be destroyed before we can jump in to pull you out of there, and there are the survivors on the planet to consider."

"I am aware of the risks, commander. So is everyone else here but I believe that it is a risk we have to take if we are to have any chance at peaceful co-existence with the aliens."

Aaron sighed softly in irritation. _Diplomats,_ he thought. "But I am not, ambassador," he said. "I would be remiss in my duty if I let you face an alien warship – a warship that has already attacked one ship attempting to make contact – in a ship with the minimal amount of defences. This is not the Federation – there are no safe passage rules for diplomats out here."

"Commander…" Trainer started to object but cut off when Aaron raised a hand and mentioned for silence.

"However," Aaron continued. "I do see the point that you are trying to make so I am willing to meet you half way. The bulk of the task force will drop out of hyperspace on the edge of the system, you will continue inwards but you will not be alone. One of the destroyers will accompany you, and you're to keep your hyperdrive powered up in case you need to make a quick escape."

"Commander…"

"Take it or leave it, ambassador,"

Trainer scowled at him, clearly not at all happy about being addressed in such a cavalier fashion and also realising that he had no real choice in the matter given that his own ships hyperdrive field was easily overpowered by the one generated by the _Railion._ Trainer was no fool, he knew full well that Commander Larsen was quite capable of forcing the issue, given how big the power differential was between his diplomatic carrier and the Trafalgar-class cruiser. Even if he switched off his own drive he would remain in hyperspace in the subspace field being put out by the _Railion's_ own hyperdrive.

"Alright commander we'll do it your way," Trainer said at last. "I just hope it doesn't blow up in our faces. And commander I will remember this."

With those final parting words the hologram of Ambassador Trainer winked out of existence as the communications link with the _Crystal Dove_ was broken. Aaron sighed and leaned back in his chair, he was fully conscious of the fact that the ambassadors parting words had been meant as a threat. Though he doubted that Trainer would be able to really act on the threat, the profile he'd read of Ambassador Jeremy Trainer showed that the man – while a skilled diplomat – had little in the way of high level political connections. Certainly he had none powerful enough to influence the career of one Aaron Larsen in any fashion – the most he could do would be try to get a reprimand put on his file.

After a moment he shrugged and put the thoughts of the ambassador out of his mind and turned his attention back to thoughts of how he was going to deal with the aliens if they continued to prove hostile. He had to have an attack plan ready to be executed if need be; though like everyone else onboard the _Railion_ he hoped that it wouldn't come to that. That Ambassador Trainer would be able to establish peaceful communication with the unknown but obviously powerful aliens. But if the diplomatic effects failed and the aliens attacked then Aaron would be sure to teach them the folly of their mistake.

Right before he blew them to kingdom come.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Amphitrite's Mothership**

**Two Hours Later**

Amphitrite was the personification of calm serenity as she glided regally back into the pel'tac of her personal flagship. Outwardly she showed no signs of her ongoing annoyance at being unable to capture the intruders, the Humans had a large head start now and the dense forest canopy, mixing with minerals in the rock, was making it difficult for the gliders to track them from the air and vector in intercepting ground forces. And now to make matters worse, the rest she had been just settling down to enjoy in her sarcophagus had been interrupted.

"**Report, Jaffa," **she said as she settled down on the command centre throne.

"My queen our sensors have detected a group of ships dropping out of hyperspace on the edge of this system," T'kron the Jaffa at the main console reported. "Scanners confirm four large warships, unknown configuration. Two more ships remain inbound to our location."

"**So someone else dares to violate our space. Raise shields and power up all of our weapons systems,"** Amphitrite ordered. **"Recall our gliders from the planet and have them stand by to engage our 'guests' if they are foolish enough not to surrender to their goddess."**

"Yes my queen," T'kron replied a moment before the ships sensors bleeped for attention. "Sensors report a hyperspace window opening bearing two, two, seven mark three, distance twenty thousand kilometres."

"**Show me."**

"Yes my queen." The view port at the front of the pel'tac shimmered and switched to display mode, pulling in a picture of space a short distance away from the motherships. The hyperspace window was just folding closed but rapidly decelerating towards them were two ships.

The larger of the two was barely half the size of a standard Ha'tak class ship, but was very sleek with a knife-like hull form that seemed designed to minimise its sensor profile while providing maximum firepower. That combined with its obvious weapons arrays revealed the ships nature as a warship. The smaller ship hanging close to it was a curved crescent shape and was about the same size as an Alkesh – though it lacked any observable weapons systems.

"My queen they hail us. Message is being broadcast on the same subspace carrier band as the message from the original intruding Human ship."

"**So they return,"** Amphitrite said thoughtfully, looking at the two ships thoughtfully. This was a perfect opportunity to capture at least one of their ships to determine where these mysterious, technologically advanced Humans came from so they could be conquered. Any useful aspects of their technology would go a long way to furthering her's and Poseidon's goals. **"Engage the translation matrix sent by the first ship. Then open communication, be prepared to fire on my command."**

"Yes my queen."

* * *

**TFS Crystal Dove**

**A Few Moments Earlier**

Ambassador Jeremy Trainer stepped into the cockpit of the small diplomatic carrier just as a change in the ships vibration told him that they had just emerged from hyperspace. It was always possible to tell in a ship this size, glancing at the view port he got a very close view of the single escort Commander Larsen had insisted on. It was intimidating but not as intimidating as the two other ships he could see, two massive vaguely pyramidal ships hung in orbit of the planet.

"Status report," he asked the pilot.

"We're secure from hyperspace, ambassador," Lieutenant Nicholas Keane replied. "Both alien warships have raised their shields and powered up their weapons systems but they've not targeted us yet. Shall we raise our own shields?"

"No I don't want to appear provocative," Trainer answered.

"Sir are you sure it's wise to keep our shields down."

"It's necessary to show them we mean no aggression, lieutenant. Now hail the aliens."

"Aye sir," Keane replied before carrying out the command. He was not happy about keeping the _Crystal Dove's _shields down, if the aliens fired at them as they had at the _Charles Darwin_ they would destroy them as unlike a warship the _Crystal Dove's_ hull was not armoured.

For a few moments nothing happened, and then finally a holographic screen blinked into existence in front of Ambassador Trainer. And it was all Trainer could do not to gasp at what he saw. The commander of the alien warships was a woman; a Human woman and a beautiful one at that.

As he recovered from his shock at seeing her he began to notice that something wasn't right about her. There was a coldness in the woman's blue eyes and the way she was looking at him was the way someone would look at something that was beneath them.

"Greetings," Trainer said. "I am Ambassador Jeremy Trainer; I bring you greetings on behalf of the Terran Federation."

"**I am the great goddess Amphitrite,"** the woman said in a deep, distorted voice that did not sound even remotely Human, at the same time her eyes glowed from within with a whitish gold light. **"If you are wise, Human you will knell before your goddess and surrender your vessel to me."**

Trainer raised an eyebrow at the demand of the so called goddess. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her, her alien voice was thick with arrogance and confidence and in her eyes he could see great intelligence and great evil. Surrendering the _Crystal Dove_ was obviously not an option, even if he wanted to do it he knew Commander Larsen would never go along with it.

"I am afraid, Amphitrite, that surrendering this vessel is out of the question," he replied. "The reason we are here is…"

"**Insolent Human," **Amphitrite said. **"Surrender your vessel now."**

"And if I refuse," Trainer asked.

"**Then you will feel our divine wrath."**

"Amphitrite if you fire on us the Terran Federation will regard the action as an act of war and respond accordingly," Trainer said. "Surely neither of us wishes to go down that road? There has to some way we can peacefully talk to each other as equals, one sentient being to another."

Amphitrite's eyes narrowed slightly in anger. **"YOU DARE TO CLAIM YOU ARE EQUAL TO A GODDESS," **she thundered. **"I will tolerate no more of your insolence, it is time you learned your place. Kree Jaffa."**

Amphitrite's hologram winked out of existence as the alien woman broke the connection from her end with an angry gesture.

"Sir alien ships are targeting us," Keane reported in alarm a millisecond before a point on the larger of the two alien warships flashed, and a bolt of whitish gold plasma shot straight towards them.

"Raise sh…" Trainer started to say though he never completed the command. For at that moment the plasma bolt slammed right into the _Crystal Dove's_ cockpit and blew right through vaporising Trainer, Keane and the co-pilot before there brains even had chance to register pain let alone before they had any chance to scream.

* * *

The massive plasma bolt fired from one of the heavy main cannons of Amphitrite's Shal'kra-class advanced mothership speared the _Crystal Dove._ The blast sliced right through the thin trinium walls of the courier ship to bore right through the vessel and shoot out the other side.

For a moment the diplomatic vessel, in a monument to the skill of its builders, held together despite the destruction of a number of key structural beams. Then she split wide open and in the engineering section the containment fields on the antimatter reactor flickered out. Matter and antimatter raced together with predictable results.

The _Crystal Dove_ erupted into a massive ball of fire, plasma and hard radiation that seemed to briefly tear the very fabric of space apart. For a moment in time the planet gained a second sun in the searing maelstrom of matter/antimatter mutual annihilation. Then the fireball faded away revealing nothing left of the diplomatic courier beyond a few specs of dust and a rapidly expanding and cooling plasma cloud.

But even as the inferno of the _Crystal Dove's_ death explosion faded away new fireworks erupted as the enraged crew of the destroyer escort opened fire. From the forward weapons arrays of the Defiance-class destroyer erupted two fierce whitish red heavy laser beams, the slender hot silvery blue tongue of a fusion beam and four streams of yellow-orange pulses from the ships fusion blaster turrets.

The barrage of fire slammed into the shields of Amphitrite's mothership almost instantly, making the bubble-like, quasi-crystalline structured force field ripple with distortion waves and flare brilliantly under the onslaught.

Immediately both Goa'uld motherships fired back, brilliant whitish-gold heavy plasma bolts and faster golden standard bolts rippled forth from the plasma batteries of both the Ha'tak and the Shal'kra. The bolts of plasmatic devastation slammed into the form hugging shields of the destroyer setting them aglow over the whole of the four hundred metre long ship as the defensive field dispersed the energy over its whole area before absorbing some of it and radiating the rest back out into space.

Simultaneously the four Alkesh bombers that had accompanied Amphitrite's flagship came out of their surprise and dove towards the embattled destroyer intent on aiding their goddess as she battled with those who dared to violate her realm.

* * *

**TFS Railion**

**That Same Time**

Alarm klaxons wailed throughout the ship, summoning the twelve hundred strong Centauran crew to their battle stations. On every one of the heavy cruisers thirty decks crew members scrambled to get ready to unleash the warships firepower on the two alien warships that had destroyed the _Crystal Dove_ the moment they jumped into the theatre of battle.

Bathed by the blood red combat lights of the bridge Commander Aaron Larsen was grim faced as all around the crew readied the ship and themselves for battle. Though he had half expected it would happen he was still shocked by the aliens opening fire on and destroying a diplomatic courier ship. An action that was against the rules of civilised warfare as he understood them, though he got the impression that these aliens played by a very different set of rules. Though he was not at all surprised by the foolish action of Ambassador Trainer in keeping his ships shields down allowing the aliens to destroy him when common sense said the _Crystal Dove_ should have had her shields activated, he was just sorry that Trainers stupidity had cost the lives of everyone on the diplomatic ship.

"Commander the _San Diego_ is reporting that they are sustaining serious damage," communications reported. "Commander Bartley reports that their shields are down to sixty percent capacity and continuing to fall."

"Helmsman how long until we can jump into theatre," Aaron asked knowing the _San Diego_ would not be able to handle heavy plasma fire from both alien warships for much longer. If they didn't get their soon then the _San Diego_ was likely to join the _Crystal Dove_ in death.

"Precision jump calculated sir," the helmsman on duty reported. "Relaying to all other ships… now."

"Excellent. Weapons control what's our status?"

"Everything bar the particle accelerator is ready to fire, sir," Lieutenant Colburn reported. "PAC charge at sixty percent and climbing the capacitors will reach full charge in twelve seconds."

"Good," Aaron said allowing himself a grim smile. The particle accelerator cannon running down the central axis of the ship was the most powerful beam weapon in the Federal Guards arsenal. He would enjoy introducing the aliens to the weapon.

"Commander all ships report ready for precision jump," communications reported. "The _San Diego_ reports that their shields are down to twelve percent and they are sustaining direct damage to their armour."

"Order the _San Diego_ to pull back," Aaron ordered. "Instruct all ships to execute precision jump in ten seconds."

"Aye sir," came the replies from both the communications officer and the helmsman. Aaron braced himself in the command chair knowing what was going to follow would be bumpy. A precision hyperspace jump was a particularly taxing manoeuvre for a ship the size and mass of the _Railion_. The inertial dampeners were never quite able to fully cancel out the sudden rapid acceleration and deceleration forces of thrusting two million metric tonnes of heavy cruiser into hyperspace and back out again in the literal blink of an eye.

For a few moments nothing happened beyond a faint, rising humming sound as the cruisers hyperdrive powered up. Then with a physical rushing sensation the _Railion_ launched into hyperspace, only to blink back out again hundreds of thousands of kilometres from where she had previously been. The sudden sharp deceleration knocked the crew back against their seats and produced a visible ripple in the air as the ships artificial gravity field momentarily fluctuated.

Aaron kept his eyes focused on the bridge's main holographic display screen. The two alien warships were continuously firing on the _San Diego_ as the battered, smouldering destroyer attempted to back away from them. A brilliant aura of energy surrounded the outline of the smaller warship and Aaron didn't need to be told that the destroyers shields were about to fail under the aliens merciless onslaught. Even as he watched helplessly the aura evaporated in a blaze of pyrotechnic light as the shields gave way, allowing multiple streams of alien plasma fire to tear into the destroyer's thinly armoured hide.

Slowly as if in slow motion the once proud _San Diego_ succumbed to the bombardment, secondary explosions erupting throughout her length as the ship began breaking up. A flurry of escape pods shot away from the dying warship, thrusting away at accelerations that would be bone jarring for the people in them as escape pod inertial dampeners were not particularly powerful. A moment later a micro-nova blossomed in space where the destroyer had once been as stored antimatter, deuterium fuel and munitions all detonated at once vaporising most of the ship and sending glowing chunks of still burning debris flying in all directions.

"We're in optimum firing range of the alien ships now, sir," weapons reported even as the glow of the _San Diego's_ explosive death faded away. "PAC fully charged and locked onto the largest alien ship."

Aaron smiled grimly. "Fire," he ordered.

* * *

Deep within the _Railion_ the command from the bridge to fire set in motion a chain reaction inside the massive particle accelerator weapon. High-energy neutron particles harvested from the ships reactor systems surged into a series of accelerator coils, accelerated to near light speed the beam of neutrons was forced into the projection matrix at the front of the weapon.

The muzzle of the cannon built into the _Railion's_ bow began to glow a millisecond before a fierce greenish blue beam burst into existence. The particle beam seared its way across space and slammed into the shields surrounding the Goa'uld Shal'kra. The shield flared brilliantly and rippled with distortion waves as it struggled to repel the enormous force of the beam. Lightning like energy arcs crackled between the bubble like force shield and the hull of the mothership as the shield came within a hairs breath of failure.

The particle beam shut down but still the Goa'uld shields glowed fiercely struggling to disperse the enormous energy influx back out into space_._

* * *

**TFS Railion**

"Direct hit on the lead alien ship," weapons reported. "There shields are down to twenty percent."

"The second enemy capital ship and four smaller vessels are moving towards us, sir," sensors added. "Both alien capital ships are launching fighters, and there is a squadron coming up from the planet."

"All pulse arrays initiate long range dispersion fire," Aaron ordered as long range plasma fire from the alien ships began slamming into the _Railion's_ shields. "All primary weapons arrays target and open fire on the incoming warship. Communications instruct the _Achilles _and the _Juno_ to break formation and go after the lead warship."

"Aye sir," came the replies from the respective stations around the bridge even as the ship shuddered under a fresh volley of enemy fire.

* * *

From weapons arrays and turrets mounted on her bow and starboard side the _Railion_ tore space apart. Continuous salvos of yellow-orange fusion blaster bolts roared away from her to tear into the swarms of approaching fighters. Immediately fighters began dying as the powerful and deadly accurate plasma-based weapons hit home and exploded, tearing formations apart.

The destroyer remaining with the _Railion_ added its fusion blasters to the assault, blasting fighter after fighter from the sky. Simultaneously both warships opened up with their beam weapons heavy lasers and fusion beams burned across space to slam into the approaching Ha'tak with white hot force.

The Ha'tak's shield flared and rippled with distortions as it worked to deflect the incoming storm of energy and fusion plasma. Plasma bolts flew back from the Ha'tak in retaliation, targeting the bigger threat of the heavy cruiser. The bolts slammed into the _Railion's_ shields making them glow fiercely but still the cruiser continued dishing out punishment with multiple beams steadily tearing away at the Goa'uld ships protection.

Angling there approach to try and avoid running into the storm of blaster bolts the four Alkesh lined up and shot over the heavy cruiser. As they did so glowing white spheres dropped from their undersides to explode against the _Railion's_ shields with enormous force that rocked the cruiser violently.

* * *

Aaron Larsen gripped the edges of his command chair as the ship rocked violently around him.

"What was that," he ordered.

"Sensors reveal some sort of unstable energy particles they exploded the moment they impacted our shields releasing a huge burst of protons," sensors reported. "Alien bombers are coming around for another pass."

"Weapons redirect some blaster fire to shoot them down," Aaron instructed glancing at the tactical display hovering in front of him. The _Achilles _and the _Juno_ were just starting to engage the damaged alien flagship, pelting its weakened shields with heavy lasers, fusion blaster bolts and fusion beams. The alien fighters had been scattered by the defensive fire though with remarkable single minded determination they were continuing to try and get close enough to strafe them.

Fresh plasma fire from the warship they were engaged abruptly rocked the ship. "Shields at seventy percent," weapons reported grimly.

"PAC status," Aaron asked.

"Fully recharged, sir, shall I target the closest alien warship?"

"Yes."

"Acquiring, target locked."

"Fire."

* * *

The greenish blue beam of neutron particles burst forth from the _Railion's_ particle accelerator cannon for the second time in the engagement with the aliens. The beam blazed its way across space, searing the very vacuum itself with its raw power, before slamming into the Ha'tak's shields.

Already weakened by continuous fire from fusion beams and heavy lasers the Ha'tak's shields were completely unable to cope with the additional loading imparted by the particle beam assault. The shield bubble flared brilliantly before evaporating into nothingness allowing the beam to slam straight into the hull dead centre in the middle of the central pyramid. Immediately armour dissolved and the beam tore deep into the interior of the Goa'uld ship, eviscerating section after section and sending destructive secondary explosions rippling through the ship.

The neutron beam shut down as its power capacitors once again drained, but the damage had already been done. Wracked with fires and internal explosions the Ha'tak spun away trailing debris and gas fed flames. It exploded in a titanic fireball moments later as its terminally damaged reactors overloaded and detonated. A monstrous subspace blast wave burst forth from the dimming fireball that had once been a Goa'uld mothership. Dozens of surrounding fighters shattered like brittle glass as the shockwave washed over them, an Alkesh caught by the blast wave was sent tumbling helplessly, weak shields obliterated and engines fused into uselessness.

Moments later the diffusing wave washed over the _Railion_ and her companion destroyer, setting the shields of both warships glowing fiercely but being too weak now to do them any real harm. As the wave cleared both warships remained present in space and sat silent for a few moments, before opening fire again on the still swarming fighters and Alkesh.

* * *

**Amphitrite's Mothership**

Amphitrite held onto the armrests of her pel'tac throne as her flagship rocked under another volley of fire from the two Terran warships pounding them. Ever thickening smoke filled the pel'tac, evidence of the fires now raging on several of her flagships decks. Gazing at the tactical display she growled angrily when she saw the Ha'tak be destroyed.

"**Damage report Jaffa," **she ordered as another blast rocked the ship.

"Shields failing my queen," T'kron reported before coughing on the choking smoke.

Amphitrite growled and her host's eyes flared brilliantly in her anger. She'd lost this battle with these Terrans, if she stayed here than it was inevitable that she would be destroyed. She had no choice but to retreat, but silently she vowed that this would not be the end of it. She and Poseidon would have revenge on these Terrans for their insolence. But before she left there was one more thing she could do to deny the Terrans what they had come for.

"**Target the planet,"** she ordered. **"Bombard the last known location of the intruders."**

"Yes my queen."

"**Then break orbit and prepare to enter hyperspace. Fire everything we have at the largest enemy warship as we break away. Instruct the surviving gliders and Alkesh to target the other three ships."**

"As you command my queen," T'kron replied knowing better than to inform his goddess that a great many of his fellow Jaffa were about to be killed. They would die in the service of their goddess and that was as good a fate as a Jaffa could ask for. But even as he complied with his mistresses orders a voice deep inside him asked. _"She is a goddess, how could she not have known who these humans are? How could she have been so wrong about their firepower?"_

He pushed aside the treasonous thought and without further hesitation complied with Amphitrite's bidding.

* * *

A heavy plasma cannon turret on the underside of Amphitrite's ship rotated slightly to bear on the planet before firing a salvo of three whitish gold plasma bolts at a specific area of the planet below.

Even as the blasts raced away and slashed down into the atmosphere, the Shal'kra broke orbit and fired a massive salvo of plasma bolts right at the _Railion_. Simultaneously three brilliant white energy spherical energy torpedoes shot out from another point on the mothership and raced towards the heavy cruiser.

The faster moving plasma bolts arrived first, slamming with white hot force into the shields making half the ship glow softly. Even before the flare faded the three energy torpedoes came in, each one exploding with immense force. The glow of the _Railion's_ shields flared brighter and spread to encompass the whole ship as the force field fought to disperse and radiate the energy back out into space. Electrostatic arcs flashed between the bow shields and the cruisers hull, and crackled along the whole nine hundred metre length of the ship leaving multiple carbon streaks on the thick armour.

With the cruisers sensors momentarily blinded by the barrage the battered and battle scarred Shal'kra opened a hyperspace window and vanished inside, fleeing from the system and the power wielded by their new enemy.

But the departure of the Shal'kra and Amphitrite was not the end of the battle. The three remaining operational Alkesh streaked towards the destroyers _Achilles_ and _Juno_ accompanied by a dwindling number of gliders. All were on collision course with the two warships, realising the danger both destroyers opened up on them with every weapon that they could bring to bear. Fusion bolts and beams and lasers shot towards the approaching swarm and began swatting ships out of the sky.

Heedless of their losses the Jaffa piloting the fighters and the Alkesh continued to close accelerating all the while. At the last possible instant the two groups split up, all three Alkesh and half the gliders heading right towards the _Juno_ while the rest headed towards the _Achilles_.

Moments later they crashed at full speed into the shields of both destroyers. The three Alkesh hitting the _Juno_ with enormous force with all their mass being turned straight into kinetic energy, making the shields flare brilliantly across the whole ship, before evaporating leaving the hull of the destroyer unprotected. The fighters ploughed in milliseconds later, each exploding on impact; the force of the explosions tore through the destroyers armoured hull like it was paper, setting off destructive secondary explosions throughout the ship, literally tearing her apart from the inside out in a maelstrom of destruction. _Juno_ split wide open before vanishing in a brilliant firestorm as all her reactor fuel detonated.

The _Achilles_ was more fortunate, being that little bit further away from the fighters than the _Juno_ her defensive fire downed a handful of additional fighters. The survivors all exploded harmlessly against the shields – which glowed nova bright as they first dispersed then reflected the enormous kinetic force away from the ship and back out into space. Aboard the _Achilles_ shield generator temperatures redlined under the enormous stress of repelling the heat and energy. As the glare of the blasts faded the shields on the _Achilles_ winked out and a number of small explosions blossomed on the hull as overloaded emitters blew, but the shields had done their job and protected the destroyer from joining two of her sisters in death.

With all opposition in orbit now eliminated either reduced to plumes of plasma and dust or fled the Terran warships hung silent in space, waiting for instructions from their flagship.

* * *

**TFS Railion**

Commander Aaron Larsen waved his hand at the thin haze of smoke that filled his bridge courtesy of a fire that had broken out at three places around the room when those weird energy torpedoes had slammed into them. Torpedoes that pushed the ships shields to the brink of total failure, inflicting thermal damage to the outer hull and causing a number of internal electrical fires in the forward compartments.

"Status report," he instructed. "And will someone please get the ventilators working?"

"All enemy forces eliminated, sir," weapons reported. "We have one target remaining, one of the alien bombers. Its adrift its weapons and engines appear to be off line."

"Lock onto it with a tractor beam and bring it aboard. If there are any survivors I want them, maybe we'll finally get some answers as to why these aliens are so hostile."

"Aye sir," weapons reported and prepared to bring the alien bomber aboard the moment security reported that marines were ready to greet them.

"Ship status," Aaron asked.

"Engineering reports shield generators two and three burned out," Colonel Rebecca Harris reported from the XO's station, "and fusion reactor number three has had to be powered down due to ruptured fuel feed lines. Primary power conduits one through four have been severed, forty percent power loss to forward compartments. Fusion cannons two and three have overheated and will need to be completely refitted. We've still got electrical fires in several compartments on decks three, four and five. Damage control estimates they'll be out momentarily."

"Casualties?"

"Thirty-two crew have been seriously injured and another hundred more have various injuries, some broken bones but mostly burns from the fires. Sickbay is responding."

Aaron sighed softly. The damage to the _Railion_ was worse than he had thought, though thankfully it didn't threaten the survivability of the ship. He was grateful that none of his crew had been killed in the vicious fire fight with the alien warships; it was a small load off his mind. He still had the other ships and their crews to worry about. There were bound to be more casualties and damage on the task forces two surviving destroyers given how much weaker their shields were compared to those on his own ship. He just hoped that there were no deaths, there had been more than enough Terran death here today with the destruction of the _San Diego, Crystal Dove_ and the _Juno._

"Communications contact the other ships and request full damage reports and casualty assessments," Aaron ordered. "Sensors scan the planet, look for our people."

"Aye sir," sensors replied and carefully turned the _Railion's _sensors on the planet, invisible beams reached down and propped the surface searching for both life signs and the tell tale signatures of Terran technology.

While the sensors propped the planet an invisible beam of highly focused magnetic and gravitational forces reached out from the _Railion's_ side and snagged the tumbling, helpless Alkesh. The tractor beam halted the bombers tumble dead in its tracks and brought it back to an even keel. Slowly like a fisherman reeling in a catch the beam began to pull it in towards the battered but still functional heavy cruiser.

"Commander we have the alien ship in a tractor beam and are bringing it into the starboard hanger bay," weapons reported. "Security marines are standing by for their arrival. Shall we reduce shipboard gravity to Terra norm?"

"Yes it will cut down the strain on our power systems until engineering can repair the severed conduits."

"Aye sir."

"Sensors have you found our people?"

"Not yet, sir two of our lateral sensor arrays are inoperable. In addition radiation from the battle is really fowling up our screens," sensors reported apologetically. "Sir if I may, I suggest we move down into low planetary orbit and scan from there. Radiation densities are lower down there, our sensors should then have a better chance of locating survivors from the _Charles Darwin's _landing party." _If there are any,_ the officer thought to himself.

"Very well," Aaron agreed. "Helmsman move us into a low planetary orbit, communications signal the _Achilles_ and the _McKenzie_ tell them to hold position in high orbit and keep a sharp watch for anymore alien ships. Something tells me these aliens will be back soon enough with reinforcements."

"Aye sir," came the replies from the respective officers before that set about carrying out there tasks.

Aaron leaned back in his command chair and sighed softly to himself so no one else could hear him. This had been one hell of a battle, the first of many he knew. The aliens disregard for the rules of civilised warfare – as Humans understood them – and there willingness to commit cold blooded murder made war almost a certainty now.

It was not a prospect Aaron Larsen welcomed. Still if war did come then he would do his duty and make the aliens sorry they had ever started a war with the Terran Federation.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Starboard Hanger Bay**

**TFS Railion, A Few Moments Later**

Major Mark Dalton led a squad of marines into the _Railion's_ starboard hanger bay just as the disabled alien bomber came into view beyond the atmospheric containment field. Held in the unbreakable grip of the tractor beam the vessel drew closer even as quietly & professionally the marines, all of them dressed in light battle uniform, deployed themselves ready to board the vessel and capture the crew.

Mark watched the alien ship as it began passing through the force field, causing the normally invisible barrier to ripple and shimmer with purplish light, before returning to normal as the craft was brought inside. To Mark's eyes the bomber was a very bizarre design, a rounded pyramid merging with a rounded triangular base, on its underside he noticed some sort of twin cannon turret. Thankfully it appeared to be damaged or out of power, the twin barrels remaining frozen in what appeared to have been the last bearing before the ship lost power, pointing harmlessly astern, away from the marines.

A dull clang on metal on metal abruptly echoed through the bay as the tractor beam set the ship down in the middle of the hanger before shutting down. Mark gestured to his marines before hefting his pulse rifle and starting towards the bomber. A number of other marines followed with the rest hanging back slightly too either side, ready to provide covering fire should the need arise.

In moments Mark stood before what appeared to be a hatch in the side of the ship. To his total lack of surprise it was firmly closed and sealed. Beside it sat a control pad with three rows of two switches; each switch had a hieroglyphic symbol engraved on it surface. Experimentally he tapped onto of the switches with a gloved hand, making the switch flash green before emitting a bleep. Other than that nothing happened so he carefully tapped another symbol again drawing a green flash and a bleep. _Combination lock,_ he thought studying it with his helmets optical sensors and noticing that two more symbols looked like they were pressed regularly from the slight wear patterns on their surfaces. When he touched one it flashed red and emitted a different frequency bleep.

"Okay," he said softly to himself before tapping the switches again but this time altering the pattern to press the last two switches in reverse. All four switches glowed green, flashed three times and then his helmets external audio picked up the slightly muffled sound of a motor. The airlock door split open revealing a compartment with bulkheads of a golden metal, decorated with column after column of what looked like Egyptian hieroglyphics. _Strange decoration,_ Mark thought, puzzled by the presence of Egyptian hieroglyphs in a spaceship, though it did seem to match with the bizarre pyramidal design of the ships.

"Richards, Thompson follow me," he said and the two indicated marines followed him into the airlock. Guessing that some things were constant anywhere you went, he depressed another pair of symbols on a panel next to the inner set of doors. The external doors of the airlock slid together with a soft thud behind Richards and Thompson, and after a few moments the inner doors began to open, allowing a thin haze of diffuse grey smoke to spill into the chamber from the interior of the ship.

When the inner doors had opened completely, they revealed a dark smoke filled interior, lit only by dull red lighting. Cautiously the three marines boarded the alien vessel, the spotlights on their rifles probing the smoky darkness, their footsteps echoing dully in the dark, silent place. A place that looked like a tornado had been through it, panels _hung_ open all over the place, showing blackened crystalline interiors. A number of support girders had buckled and were lying at bizarre angles from the ceiling or punching through the bulkheads.

"Man this thing got hammered," Richards said softly.

"Getting caught in a blast wave of an exploding ship ship does that to you," Thompson replied with a grin that was invisible behind the deployed face plate of his helmet.

"Okay pipe down," Mark told them firmly. "Remember this is an alien vessel with possible hostile survivors, so keep your eyes and ears peeled. There will be time for idle chatter later."

"Yes, sir," the other two marines answered, as the three men advanced deeper into the shattered interior of the alien bomber.

* * *

After a short while the three marines came to a cavernous interior space that seemed to fill the ships central pyramid structure. Two large machines hung down from the ceiling, terminating just above closed openings in the floor. Each machine had a huge muzzle pointing right into the openings and Mark guessed that these machines were what had generated the energy bombs that had shaken the ship so violently. _What kind of weapons are these things,_ he thought, looking at them and seeing nothing but a metal surface covered with more of the hieroglyphics.

"Sheesh what is it with the hieroglyphics," Thompson said. "They're all over this ship."

"Not a clue," Mark replied, confused by the presence of the hieroglyphs himself. Especially as they gave the ship a distinctively Ancient Egyptian look that fitted with the pyramidal design. "Though it does say one thing, all those old theories floating around the Starnet that the pyramids were really built by aliens have a basis in fact."

"Oh boy, that's going to really set the cat among the pigeons in the academic community," Richards said.

Mark nodded and was about to reply when a rippling, crackling bolt of blue energy, that almost resembled a lightning bolt, cut through the air from somewhere above and to their right. It struck one of the machines next to him, immediately breaking apart on impact and dissipating across the metal surface in a a series miniature lightning bolts. Realising they were under attack Mark started to turn, just as a second blast of blue lightning shot through the air.

This time the bolt from the alien weapon struck Mark full on, and broke apart on contact with the light battle armour that he wore. The armour components of the suit and the limited built in energy dispersion layer instantly grounded it out into the deck as it was designed too, but Mark still staggered slightly from the force of the impact. He recovered quickly however, and had already brought up his pulse rifle to his shoulder, searching for his assailant, when a third blast shot toward him.

As before his armour dispersed the energy of the blast but this time a faint warning sounded in Mark's ears and an icon flashed up on his heads up display, warning that his suit's dispersion web was becoming overloaded. He had to avoid getting hit again, but to do that he needed to locate his assailant.

At that moment he heard the familiar sound of a pulse rifle discharge, and saw one of the distinctive red plasma bolts streak through the air from Roberts's position, to strike somewhere above him. His external audio pickups caught a faint cry of pain, before a man shaped objected fell crashing to the ground from somewhere above and then lay still on the decking.

"Are you alright, sir," Roberts asked.

"I'm okay," Mark replied. "Where did those shots come from?"

"Above us and to the right," Roberts answered. "That's where that guy was shooting from. There's a catwalk around the upper section of this room. I saw what looked like another door too."

"Control centre is probably up there," Mark said thoughtfully. "Okay let's see if we can find our way up there. Use caution though, our armour doesn't seem able to take too many hits from whatever that blue lightning weapon is."

"Yes sir," Roberts and Thompson replied.

Carefully, making sure to keep other within sight – which wasn't easy in the smoke filled gloom – the three marines spread out to search for away to the upper deck. After a few moments Lieutenant Daniel Thompson found what they were looking for, a narrow flight of stairs towards the rear of the compartment, leading up to the catwalk.

"Over here," he called out bringing the other two running.

"Excellent," Mark replied examining the flight of stairs and the catwalk above carefully, checking for any movement. The narrowness of the stairs would force the marines to climb in single file, presenting a nice target to anyone above. When after a few seconds nothing stirred above, he carefully began to climb, his rifle up and tracking. A few steps behind him came Roberts, equally alert, while Thompson waited at the bottom, waiting for the all clear from Mark. Dalton quickly reached the dark opening at the top of the stairs, and emerged onto the catwalk. It was wide, lit by more dull lighting, with the door that Roberts had seen directly opposite them at the far end of the compartment. He crouched to one side to let Roberts past, then gestured silently with a hand movement for Thompson to join them above.

He soon joined them, and then the three of them made their way along the catwalk until they reached the doors set in the opposite bulkhead. The doors were jammed half open, and carefully the three of them slipped inside. Advancing in a staggered fashion, the three Centauran marines made their way along a short corridor, and soon came to what had to be the bombers control room.

Like the rest of the craft it was in shambles, with more open access panels revealing more burned and cracked crystals, which apparently formed an integral part of this ship's systems, certainly far more than they were on Terran vessels.

There were three stations on the small bridge, arranged in a triangle, at the front was a seat facing a strange ball like object that glowed fitfully from within with an orange light. Behind and to the left and right of that forward control station were two consoles, though neither seemed to have an active display and both were only glowing fitfully. Lying prone over the consoles were two figures, two figures that looked very human.

Both were dressed in some sort of grey armour that was a mixture of solid sheets and a very tightly woven chain mail. Each wore a grey metallic skullcap and looking at them it was immediately obvious to Mark that one of them was dead. The young looking man's neck was twisted at such an odd angle that his spinal cord would have been completely severed – instantly killing him. The other from the slight rise and fall of his chest was clearly still alive, but deeply unconscious, presumably from slamming his head into the consoles surface.

"What the hell?" Thompson said his shock audible in his voice.

"I know the feeling," Mark agreed. "We'll get some answers later," he said. "Go back outside and get some medics in here this fellow," he nodded at the unconscious survivor, "has an appointment first with the doc then with a cell in the brig."

"Yes sir," Thompson answered before retreating from the small control room to summon the medical personnel waiting outside into the alien bomber.

As his marine left Mark studied the survivor, stunned by how human he looked, and how young he appeared to be. He didn't think he could be any older than twenty-five or twenty-six, looking closely at the young man he noticed an odd tattoo on his forehead. Bending down slightly to examine the man, he saw it was a black tattoo in the shape of a trident; a symbol that if he remembered his ancient history correctly represented the Greek God Poseidon or his Roman counterpart Neptune. _What is going on here,_ he thought, _first Egyptian hieroglyphics are all over this ship, and then we find young male Humans like us, with trident tattoos on their foreheads. Hopefully we'll get some answers soon; whatever is going on is going to be interesting._

* * *

**Charles Darwin Landing Party**

**A Few Minutes Later**

Consciousness returned slowly to Professor Melinda Jackson. The first thing she became aware of was the faint sound of birds – or bird analogues anyway – singing and the faint sound of a breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. Slowly she opened her eyes to find the face plate of her helmet half under water of a fast flowing forest stream, only the internal oxygen charge of the survival suit had prevented her from drowning.

Awkwardly, feeling like she'd been run over by a truck, Melinda got back to her feet. Her head was pounding and her legs felt like jelly, but they held her weight as she looked around uncertainly for the others. They had all been proceeding together towards what they hoped was safety in the mountains when a tremendous explosion had ripped through the forest behind them and everything had gone black. From the state of her helmet she guessed the concussion wave had picked them up and then thrown them through the air like they were toys. There was no way to determine just how far away people had landed.

After a few moments she found Marco lying further downstream in the middle of the fast flowing water, his helmet faceplate splintered and cracked. The shattered material had allowed water to flood in, drowning him while he lay helpless and unconscious. Melinda felt her eyes sting with tears at the loss of yet another of her team. Looking away from Marco's lifeless body, she stared blindly at the streambed, feeling utterly drained. _How many more lives are the aliens going to take,_ she thought choking back a sob, _I wish we'd never come to this planet, for all its beauty it is a place of death._

At that moment she heard a soft, pained moan from somewhere behind her. Spinning around she spotted Lieutenant Franklin lying nearly motionless on the streams steep, rugged banks. Sergeant Walkman lay not far away with Doctor Karen Ross near him, the two of them slowly picking themselves up.

Franklin moaned again, obviously in considerable pain, despite the best efforts of his implant to dampen the pain receptors in his brain. Frowning in concern Melinda splashed her way through the stream to his side, her eyes widening when she saw his left arm. From just below his shoulder joint the arm was literally shattered, seemingly only being held together by the tight armoured sleeve of his battle uniform. She could see numerous bulges where the bones in his arm had not just been broken but had been completely and totally shattered. From the position of his body she could guess what had happened.

Franklin had landed hard on his left arm on the hard dense rocks of the stream bank. Even with the protection of the poly-metallic materials woven into the light battle uniform the impact had been sufficient to shatter the bones in his arm, which had almost certainly inflicted serious damage to the nerves, blood vessels and muscles in the rest of his limb.

"Karen," she called out over the helmet radios, "have you still got your medical kit?"

Out of the corner of her eyes Melinda observed Karen search around for a moment before picking up the kit. "Got it, Melinda," Karen answered as she started clambering over the rocks towards her, Sergeant Walkman close beside her. "Where's Marco?" she asked, not seeing Marco anywhere.

"Dead," Melinda replied. "He drowned."

Karen's mouth opened slightly and she looked down and away. She'd known Marco even longer than Melinda had. "Damn it," she said grief clearly audible in her voice. "What the bloody hell could have generated the wave that threw us like that?"

"If I had to guess I would say someone fired energy weapons at us from space," Sergeant Walkman replied. "We're lucky to be alive."

"Not all of us are," Karen answered with a choked off sob as she forced her grief away, and instead focused on Lieutenant Franklin who seemed completely out of it, aside from the soft subconscious moans of pain he was periodically making.

Squatting down next to him, Karen opened her field medical kit and took out a diagnostic scanner, running it down the length of Franklin's prone form. A small representation of a human being appeared on the screen, flashing red areas indicating points of serious injury, while flashing amber points indicated other injured areas. More detailed information relayed silently into her implant and seemed to appear before her eyes as translucent text. What she saw made her curse softly.

"What is it," Melinda asked.

"Lieutenant Franklin's unconscious," she said, "and I'm glad he is. His left arm has been completely shattered, all major blood vessels and nerves have suffered severe damage or been severed. The bones are all shattered in at least a dozen places with massive muscle and tendon damage. And to make it worse there is massive internal bleeding, if he was awake he'd be in agony."

"Is there anything we can do," Melinda asked.

"All I can do is stop the bleeding before it kills him," Karen replied as she fished in her medical kit and took out a specific injector. With her implant she sent a medical override command to Franklin's helmet, making it retract down into its dormant state. Calmly she pressed the injector against the side of his neck and fired – instantly discharging a specialised smart coagulant compound into his bloodstream. A compound that would race to the points of injury and stop the bleeding – or at the very least slow it down.

Karen turned to Sergeant Walkman. "Sergeant see if you can find something we can make a splint with," she said. "We need to immobilise this arm to prevent further damage."

"Yes ma'am," Walkman replied, slinging his pulse rifle across his shoulders and starting to look around from some appropriately sized fallen branches.

Before he had taken more than a few steps a sound like a telephone ring briefly sounded in his head, his implants way of telling him that someone was trying to establish contact with his armours built in communications system. Walkman frowned slightly, the last time he had tried to use his armours subspace radio to access the orbiting satellites he'd got no response, indicating the satellites had been destroyed.

So how could someone be trying to contact them on that subspace bandwidth now? He doubted that it was the alien ship that had chased the _Charles Darwin_ away and presumably been the ship to shoot down the satellites. Though primarily peaceful in use those satellites used highly encrypted narrow band subspace signals, they were next to impossible to decrypt. Cautiously he instructed his implant to check for a sub-carrier frequency, as all Terran vessels, satellites and space stations broadcast their ID on a sub-channel to prevent false orders being given and to confirm they were who they said they were. It was a trick they'd learned to use the hard way during the A.I War of one and a half centuries ago.

After a moment his implant spat back an answer and a wave of pure relief rippled through him. The signal was authentic and the sub-channel revealed it was being broadcast by a Trafalgar-class heavy cruiser called the _Railion_. The Federal Guard had sent reinforcements, reinforcements that had driven away the alien warship, or possibly even destroyed it if the massive flashes of light they'd seen in the sky even through the tree canopy were anything to go by.

Relieved beyond words he used his implant to open the communications channel and relay it to the others. Static momentarily sounded in his ears from the helmet speakers then a male voice with a pronounced Centauran accent came through. "…repeating this is the TFS _Railion_ to _Charles Darwin_ landing party do you receive," the voice said.

"_Railion_ this is Professor Melinda Jackson," Melinda answered. "We hear you."

For a second there was silence; then another male voice also with a Centauran accent came through. "Professor Jackson this is Commander Larsen," the man said. "What's your status?"

"We've suffered severe casualties, commander," Melinda replied. "There are only four of us left alive though not exactly in one piece."

"Is your position secure, professor?" Larsen asked.

"Commander Larsen, Sergeant Walkman," Walkman answered for Melinda. "Negative sir, I would describe or position as very vulnerable. The aliens have been chasing us though this forest for hours now, it's only a matter of time before they find us again. Lieutenant Franklin is unconscious with severe injuries to his left arm and our pulse rifles are almost dead."

"Stand by," Larsen said.

"Yes sir."

Again for a few moments there was silence and Walkman didn't doubt that Commander Larsen was probably giving orders on his bridge. Finally he came back on the line.

"Sergeant Walkman, Professor Jackson," he said. "Our sensors indicate there is a clearing immediately to the east of you, distance approximately one kilometre. Relief forces are on their way down to retrieve you now. Can you reach the clearing?"

"Commander, Doctor Karen Ross field medic," Karen spoke up. "I would advise against moving, I don't want to risk moving Lieutenant Franklin until there is no choice."

"Sergeant Walkman can you hold your position?" Larsen asked.

"I think so, sir but I can't guarantee it," Walkman answered. "But I agree with Doctor Ross, moving the Lieutenant could result in further injuries. He's in pretty bad shape sir."

"Damned if we do damned if we don't," Larsen said softly obviously talking to himself, though the words were picked up by the highly sensitive microphones. "Alright, Sergeant defend your position as best you can. Our relief forces will come to you."

"Yes sir."

"Good luck."

"Thank you, sir." The connection with the _Railion_ and Commander Larsen closed down with a bleep.

"Sergeant you still need to find those sticks," Karen pointed out.

"I'm on it, doc," Walkman replied and resumed his interrupted search for sticks that could be used to make a splint for his superiors wounded arm. _Soon,_ he thought with a smile, _soon we will be safe aboard the _Railion _and on our way away from this cursed planet_

* * *

**Starboard Hanger Bay**

**TFS Railion, A Few Moments Later**

Major Mark Dalton watched quietly as medical teams carried the unconscious Human looking alien and the bodies of the other two out of the hanger bay. He hoped they would be able to get some answers about what was going on here soon from examining the bodies and interrogating the survivor. Assuming of course they could speak to him and assuming the prisoner would talk and not be more silent than a piece of the famed Cetian blue marble.

Turning slightly he looked over at the technicians waiting to examine the alien bomber, those that could be spared from the damage control teams. "It's okay to go in there now guys," he said to them, his voice slightly distorted by his helmet.

"Thank you sir," said the chief petty officer in charge of the technicians, before leading her small troop aboard the alien bomber to carry out a cursory analysis – a more in depth analysis would have to wait until they got the bomber back to Epsilon Eridani. Mark watched them board and didn't envy them in their task at all, though if he knew techies they would be relishing the challenge of probing the alien ships secrets.

At that moment his helmet radio bleeped slightly for attention and with a quick command to his implant he accepted the call. "Major Dalton," he said.

"Major," Commander Larsen replied. "I need you to take most of your men over to the portside hanger bay. There are survivors of the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party on the planet below us. I want you to retrieve them and bring them back here."

"Aye sir we'll head over there immediately. How many survivors are there sir if you don't mind my asking?"

"Four, the others are all dead."

Mark closed his eyes for a moment and silently cursed the aliens for slaughtering most of the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party. With only two marines with them and with the bulk of the landing party having no defence beyond a few pistols they were hardly a tactical threat, killing them like they had amounted to little more than butchery.

"I understand, sir," he said opening his eyes again. "We'll get the survivors up here."

"I know you will, Major. Two Jaguars will provide you with air support; I'm not convinced that the aliens don't still have a few nasty surprises ready to spring on us."

"I understand, sir. We'll be as careful and as quick as we possibly can. Sir what should be our rules of engagement?"

"If you come across any aliens try to capture them. The more prisoners we have the more likely we are to get some answers, however if they resist kill them."

"Yes sir."

"Good luck down there, major."

"Thank you sir, I think we're going to need it," Mark answered a moment before the link with the bridge closed down. Mark turned to the marine detachment he had led into the hanger bay. "Roberts, Thompson you stay here and guard the alien bomber."

"Yes sir," Roberts and Thompson replied.

"The rest of you come with me," Mark ordered before turning and marching out of the bay for the closest cross corridor to the bays twin on the _Railion's_ port side. The rest of the marine detachment followed holding their pulse rifles closely. To a soul they we're eager to get down to the planet and rescue the survivors of the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party; and take a little retribution on any of the aliens who dared to try and get in their way.

* * *

A few minutes' later, three small craft left the port side of the Trafalgar-class heavy cruiser. Two were the sleek delta-winged forms of Jaguar-class attack fighters, the snap in weapons pods beneath their wings configured for ground support. The third was the boxy, angular form of a Peregrine-class assault lander.

In a display of synchronisation that would have made even the most experienced troop of ballet dancers green with envy the three smaller craft turned smoothly onto an atmospheric insertion vector, speeding away from the mass of the _Railion_ and into the atmosphere of the planet who's exploration had already cost so many Terran lives. In moments they would enter the upper ionosphere and minutes after that would be down on the planet itself.

Help and rescue for the four surviving members of the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party was on its way.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Bridge**

**TFS Railion**

**A Short Time Later**

Commander Aaron Larsen resisted the impulse to get up from his command chair and pace around the bridge while he waited for Major Dalton and his marines to land on the planet below and retrieve the handful of survivors from the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party. When that was done then they would be able to withdraw from this place of death and return to Epsilon Eridani.

Though he doubted that would be the end of what had happened here today. War between them and whoever these aliens was almost certain to come. He was not looking forward to that possibility though he would do his duty if it came. But like most other fleet commanders he knew the Federal Guard was not really ready for full scale interstellar warfare, especially with against a civilisation whose full strengths and capabilities were unknown to them. The fleet of warships operated by the Federal Guard – though large and more than capable of dealing with pirates, smugglers and other undesirables – was mostly composed of lighter ships like the Defiance-class destroyers, ships that really were not much good for combat with heavily armed foes.

_In the light of what's happened here maybe the politicians will at last let us to start building new heavy warships, we're going to need them if we are going to deal with the aliens more often,_ he thought thinking of how the last few administrations had effectively gutted the ranks of the Federal Guard, decommissioning large numbers of heavy ships, making them rely more on the lighter vessels. This was fine for dealing with pirates, smugglers and the odd separatist terror group – sending something like a Trafalgar-class heavy cruiser, a Trojan-class battlecruiser or even one of the massive Kyoto-class battleships against any of the former was more than a bit of overkill - but was no good for war with another spacefaring nation. Especially one with large and powerful warships like their new enemy seemed to have.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the bleeping of the ships sensors. _Now what,_ he thought as the operator of the offending console checked the readings.

"Commander the sensors have detected some sort of spatial distortion forming down on the planet," the lieutenant reported. "It appears to be located between the pyramid and the settlement. Computer says the distortion is a wormhole but it doesn't look like any wormhole I've ever seen."

"A wormhole on a planets surface," Aaron repeated in confusion. Like all spacers he'd heard of wormholes and knew them to be an unpredictable and dangerous phenomenon that was best to steer well clear of. Though no astrophysicist he'd never heard of a wormhole appearing inside a strong gravity well before let alone on a planet, surely the seismic and atmospheric shockwaves of such an occurrence would quickly render a world completely uninhabitable.

"Yes sir, but this does not match any wormhole type recorded in our database, it's got a stable subspace matrix, its being artificially generated by a device near the main pyramid. Sensors show the device is composed of a material of unknown type." The sensors bleeped again. "New life signs, sir they appear to be emerging from the wormhole."

"Life forms travelling through a wormhole, without protection," Aaron exclaimed even more shocked as most wormholes he knew about put out radiation that was very dangerous to organic tissue. But then again this planetary wormhole seemed to be defying all manner of astrophysics. "This cannot be good, communications send a message to Major Dalton and the extraction team, inform them of what's happening and advise they use extra caution."

"Aye sir," communications answered.

"Sensors gather as much information on that wormhole as you can," Aaron instructed. "Should give the science boys back home something to figure out."

"Aye sir," sensors answered a moment before the console bleeped for the third time. "The wormhole has just shut down sir."

"How many new life forms are there?"

"Nearly two hundred, sir."

Aaron scowled and considered what to do for a moment, or even if he should respond to the arrival of more enemy troops on the planet below. It was highly unlikely that the alien's reinforcements would reach the location of the _Charles Darwin's_ survivors before Major Dalton pulled them out of there. Still he was tempted to deal with the alien reinforcements and that pyramid that seemed to be a base or some sort from space, it would be easy to reduce the whole alien encampment to molten glass. The _Railion's_ heavy laser cannons had both the range and the firepower to annihilate the enemy base within a few seconds.

It was very tempting. But at the same time it would be excessive force beyond what was needed to complete his mission – which would get him into hot water with command as it was contrary to the Federal Guard's mantra of only using appropriate levels of force. He would therefore do nothing against them for now, but if the aliens did interfere with either Major Dalton's retrieval squad or the _Charles Darwin's_ survivors he wouldn't hesitate to burn the alien base right down to the bedrock and damn the consequences.

"Sickbay to bridge," came the voice of chief medical officer Doctor Pauline Cadwalder from the intercom.

"Yes doctor," Aaron responded raising his voice slightly to activate the intercom pick up.

"Commander can you please come down to sickbay, there is something here that you need to see."

Aaron frowned, he was uncomfortable with the idea of leaving the bridge while they were still over what was enemy territory, but he knew Doctor Cadwalder would not have summoned him unless she felt it was something that could not wait.

"Alright doc I'll be right down," he responded at last before using his implant to direct the comm. link with sickbay to close down. "Colonel Harris you have the bridge," he ordered standing up. "Inform me the moment something changes down on the planet, and keep a close eye on the space around us. I don't want another alien warship popping out of hyperspace and catching us with our trousers down."

"Aye sir," Rebecca Harris answered as Aaron turned and walked off the bridge. _I wonder what Doctor Cadwalder wants',_ she thought as she left the first officers station and moved to the commanding officers chair and made herself comfortable for the duration of Commander Larsen's absence.

* * *

**Major Dalton's Recovery Party**

**A Few Moments Later**

Major Mark Dalton used his implant to deploy the helmet of his light battle uniform and brought his pulse rifle to ready position as the Peregrine-class assault lander set down on solid ground with a faint bump and the ramp like door slid open letting in a rush of fresh oddly scented air. With a quick hand gesture to his fellow marines he darted down the ramp and onto the surface of the alien planet with the others following him down.

Immediately he took in the scene around him, which was quiet and deceptively peaceful. As planned the assault lander had set down in a natural clearing in the forest that seemed to dominate the continent going all the way from the coast to the foothills of the volcanic mountain range that ran across the northern part of the continent. The trees vaguely resembled Terran pine and oak trees though there were differences, like the fact that the bark was a bluish-grey colour as opposed to brown. Faintly visible in the sky were one of this planets two moons and the slender sword slash of the rings. The sight of the rings was comfortingly familiar as Alpha Centauri IV also had a set of rings – though its were a bit thicker and at a slightly different angle than the ones in orbit of this world.

A shadow fell across the clearing and Mark's helmet sensors alerted him to the fact that the two Jaguar fighters that had escorted them down where circling over the clearing. He didn't doubt their sensors were probing the forest around them, tracking everything that moved from the smallest insects to the largest animals. Given the fact that alien reinforcements had just arrived on the surface of this world – via wormhole of all things – the fact that the two Jaguars were hanging around was comforting, especially as their weapons would make mincemeat of any enemy column that came towards them in very short order.

Still Mark knew to be cautious. "Markham, Callway, Stackhouse and Peterson you stay here and guard the lander," he ordered over his squad command frequency. "The rest of you come with me, we've got some people who've been through hell to go and save. Let's do this by the numbers people."

"Sir yes sir," the marines chorused in response.

Mark smiled at the response and used his implant to wirelessly check the location of the survivors of the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party, through a combination of the sensors on the Jaguar fighters and the orbiting warships. They were exactly where they said they would be, due east of his present position at a distance of just over a kilometre. _Shouldn't take us long to get there,_ he thought knowing full well that the fact that they were all Centaurans gave them a few advantages in the lower gravity of this planet. There denser bones and muscles among other genetic alterations their ancestors had undergone to survive on Alpha Centauri IV made them both immensely strong and fast in this kind of environment.

"Okay people I'm sending you all a navigation point, there we will find the survivors of the _Charles Darwin_ landing party," Mark said while using his implant to transmit the location of the survivors to the other marines that would be accompanying him. "Remember be on your guard, and lets go."

Without waiting for a response from the other marines he started moving across the clearing towards the tree line, keeping his pulse rifle in the ready position. Keeping close enough to cover each other in the event that they encountered the enemy the rest of the marine detachment, with the exception of the four tasked to guard the lander, followed him. Despite their size and weight the Centauran marines were as silent as ghosts as they slipped into the dappled shade of the forest.

As he walked deep into the forest it occurred to Mark Dalton that this planet really did seem quite lovely. If the _Charles Darwin_ hadn't encountered the aliens here, they were obviously recent as the initial survey probe reports had revealed no sentient life on this world – like all senior staff on the _Railion_ he'd seen the reports during the cruise here, then this planet would have been a welcome addition to the Terran Federation. It would have been an ideal jumping off point for the first wave of new expansion since the A.I War of over a century ago. A war that had actually caused the Federation to shrink a bit with two whole star systems being eradicated, the surface of the colonies burned to glass by massive bombardment.

But sadly it was not going to happen now; they seemed committed to a road that was leading to war. He supposed it would have happened anyway, at some point in time they would have encountered these Human-looking aliens whoever they were, aliens who seemed to be extremely aggressive without any apparent reason. _I suppose its better we encountered them here, now before we started colonising this sector,_ he thought with an inward shiver imaging what could have happened had a colonisation fleet encountered the aliens. Given the aliens aggression it was likely that the colony ships would have been blasted from the stars, killing thousands of people. Such a thing would have been the worst single loss of Terran life since the A.I War.

With another shiver he pushed the horrifying prospect of what could have been out of his mind and focused on the task at hand, rescuing the survivors of the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party and helping them return to the safety of a Federation world.

* * *

**Sickbay**

**TFS Railion, A Few Minutes Later**

Doctor Pauline Cadwalder looked up when the doors to her sickbay opened, a faint smile tweaked at the edges of her mouth as Commander Larsen came in.

"You asked to see me, doctor," Aaron Larsen asked as he came into her office cubicle.

"Yes I did," Pauline replied picking up a small pad, standing up and leading her commanding officer deeper into sickbay, towards the morgue. "What I need to show you is this way," she said.

Raising an eyebrow Aaron followed her into the morgue. The chamber was very different to any other area of the ship. Hexagonal in shape it was illuminated by muted purple-blue light as opposed to the bright synthetic sunlight of the rest of the ship. A single large console sat immediately in front of the door, with a large bed beyond it for the conduction of autopsies, set into five of the six walls were three rows of four metal doors. Aaron inwardly shivered at the sight of them, knowing that beyond each door was a gurney capable of keeping a dead Human body in cryogenic stasis for an indefinite period of time.

"What do you wish to show me in here, doctor," he asked his voice quiet and respectful, though none of the crew had been killed in the battle with the aliens, this was a hallowed place.

"As you maybe aware commander, two of the pilots on the alien bomber were dead, or killed when Major Dalton boarded the ship," Pauline replied, equally quietly. "I conducted autopsy scans on both bodies and the results are shocking."

"How so," Aaron asked.

Rather than immediately answer him, Pauline walked up to the softly glowing console and tapped in a command rather than give it with her implant. Not that it would have worked if she tried as the morgue was not connected to the ships internal wireless data network which meant only basic implant functions worked.

After a moment a hologram of a very well muscled Human male appeared over the autopsy table and Aaron moved closer to look. In seconds he realised that this was not a hologram of a Human though the man looked almost Human, the strange X shaped pouch on the abdomen was a dead giveaway that appearances aside this was definitely an alien.

"Astonishing he looks so much like us," he said examining the hologram with a critical eye noting how the young alien male appeared to be little different to an equivalently aged, physically fit Centauran in terms of muscular development.

"The appearance is very deceptive," Pauline replied. "My tests indicate that this man is distantly descended from a Human, but has been biologically altered from the molecular level up. Bone and muscle densities are higher than the norm for a Human, even by Centauran standards this man would have been both strong and fast. Strangely though he seems to have no active immune system, its heavily atrophied and shows signs that it once worked but hasn't in a few years."

"No immune system? Then how do these aliens survive?"

"I'll show you," Pauline answered pressing another control. The outer layer of the hologram vanished, revealing a few of the musculature underneath and opening the interior of the pouch to viewing.

"What in the world," Aaron said seeing the interior of the pouch, which seemed to be filled with some sort of fluid. In it sat an alien creature that looked almost like a snake, though the presence of a fan-like dorsal fin and small fan-like flippers at the front indicated that it was an aquatic creature.

"This creature seems to be sustained and supported by the fluid secreted by the walls of this womb-like chamber," Pauline explained. "In return it appears to secret hormones and various forms of protein that is filtered back into the body of the alien. These hormones and proteins seem to provide both an increase in physical capabilities and provide an extremely aggressive immunity to both drugs and disease."

"A symbiosis?"

"One that is artificial, the structure of the womb is too precise to have been the result of natural evolution. Someone specifically engineered this structure to support the creature – which appears to be only partially developed, my guess is it's in a larval stage. The creature itself is another thing that is strange."

As Pauline spoke the hologram changed to show a larger version of the alien creature, making the hologram of the host disappear. "This creature is unlike anything we have ever seen before," she said. "Physiologically on the surface it has some similarities to Terran sea snakes but there are differences. For one it has an extremely developed nervous system, comparable to that of a Human but on a much smaller and more focused scale. My guess is it's probably sentient, though what is odd is there is a large bundle of nerve endings at the tips of its mouthparts – my guess is they would be able to make a connection between the creature's nervous system and the nervous system of another life form. What effect that would have I do no know."

"So what is it?"

"My guess is that we're looking at a sentient symbiotic life form," Pauline answered.

"Is such a thing possible?"

"Well there is nothing in nature to prevent it, though we've never come across a symbiotic life form with this level of biological complexity. We'll have to examine the bodies of the symbiotes in more detail when we return to Epsilon Eridani to gather more information on this species."

Aaron nodded in understanding, knowing that more advanced science facilities were present at Epsilon Eridani than here on the _Railion_ where they were minimal. After all this ship was built for war not science and exploration.

At that moment the communicator on his wrist vibrated and bleeped for attention. Raising the offending device he answered the hail. "Yes?"

"Commander our sensors are picking up a fresh group of ships in hyperspace heading towards our location," Colonel Harris answered a note of urgency in her voice.

"How many ships? What is there ETA?"

"We read twelve small ships my guess is that they are more bombers. ETA several minutes."

Aaron cursed softly, seven minutes was not a lot of time at all. Certainly it was not enough time for Major Dalton and the survivors of the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party to get back here to the _Railion_. They would have to fight the alien reinforcements when they arrived, thankfully twelve of the aliens bombers shouldn't be a problem, it was only if they were forerunners for capital scale ships that difficulties would crop up.

"Battle stations," he ordered. "Get all our remaining Jaguar's into space, all ships are to raise shields and power up all weapons systems."

"Aye sir."

"More fighting," Pauline muttered softly as Aaron lowered his communicator. She was not happy with the thought that soon enemy fire would once again be shaking the ship.

"I'm afraid so, doctor," Aaron replied as alarms began to sound throughout the ship, "though twelve alien bombers should not present us with much of a problem."

"I guess your right, commander. But it doesn't mean that I have to like it, especially as I have a sickbay ward full of crew wounded from our earlier battle. They are going to be disturbed."

"Unfortunately that cannot be helped, I would have rather avoided further combat but the aliens apparently have other ideas, they seem to sticklers for punishment," Aaron replied. "So if you'll excuse me doctor I have to return to the bridge."

With that Aaron Larsen turned and left the morgue, Pauline watched him go before closing down the holographic projector and leaving the room herself. With another engagement with the aliens about to take place she didn't doubt that her skills as the _Railion's_ chief medical officer were going to be called upon.

* * *

**Bridge**

**TFS Railion**

**A Few Minutes Later**

Silence reigned on the bridge of the as the crew prepared themselves and the ship for the second battle of the day. The shields were back up at full power and everyone of the _Railion's_ weapons systems were fully charged, ready to open up on the enemy the moment they came out of hyperspace. Floating in formation with the _Railion_ the remaining two destroyers _Achilles_ and _McKenzie_ were also as battle ready as they could be and surrounding all three ships was a thin screen of ten Jaguar fighters launched from the _Railion's_ hanger bays.

"Sensors how long do we have till the enemy ships drop out of hyperspace," Aaron asked into the relative silence of the bridge. Relative because aside from the morgue there was no where on the _Railion_ that was truly quiet, you could always hear a faint background humming of the technology that made the heavy cruiser a living, breathing vessel and not just a nine hundred metre long chunk of lifeless metal.

"One minute and thirty seconds, sir," sensors reported. "Enemy vessels are still holding course, if they don't change course they should emerge thirty thousand kilometres away from us on a bearing of two one nine mark three zero four."

"Still only twelve contacts?"

"Yes sir."

Aaron frowned slightly. This didn't make any sense, there was no way that twelve alien bombers were a credible threat to a Trafalgar-class cruiser and two Defiance-class destroyers. Yes the alien ships did drop powerful energy bombs that were unlike anything they'd ever encountered but there was no way they would be powerful enough to overwhelm the shields before they blasted the bombers from the sky. Especially as the bombers shields were weak and not strong enough to withstand more than a handful of blasts from starship grade fusion blasters.

"Sensors keep an eye out," he said. "Just in case anyone tries to sneak up on us while we're busy with the bombers, but before you do that transfer the expected emergence point coordinates to tactical. Tactical target all forward fusion blasters on those coordinates, open fire as soon as you have a target. Communications advise the _Achilles_ and the _McKenzie_ to do the same."

"Aye sir," came the replies from the respective stations.

Aaron turned his eyes to the bridge's main holographic display screen and used his implant to direct it to show the projected emergence point of the alien bombers. Immediately the screen shimmered and changed from a view of the planet they were orbiting, to a view of the star studded darkness of open space. A translucent digital clock superimposed on the lower right hand side of his vision by his implant counted down the last few seconds till the alien ships emerged from hyperspace – hopefully right into the line of fire of the _Railion's_ forward pulse cannons.

* * *

Subspace at the projected coordinates warped and distorted and the swirling whirlpool of a hyperspace window burst into normal space. Out of the swirling aquamarine coloured mass of light, Cherenkov radiation and subatomic energy that was the transition point between normal space and hyperspace came twelve ships arranged into three V-shaped waves of four bombers each.

As the hyperspace window folded close as if it had never been present at all, the twelve Alkesh bombers shot towards the three Terran warships that had dared to violate the domain of the great god Poseidon. For a few seconds they drove through space without opposition then the _Railion's_ forward fusion blaster turrets opened fire, sending rapid fire streams of orange fusion plasma towards the bombers.

One Alkesh was hit immediately, the first blast slamming into its shield with white hot force making the quasi-crystalline structure of the force field flare brilliantly and ripple as it fought to repel the force of the blast. A second fusion bolt struck the shield and it flared out of existence in a blaze of pyrotechnic light, allowing a third bolt to strike the hull directly. The thin hull of the Alkesh had little chance against the superheated, subcritical mass of fusion plasma. The hull didn't disintegrate or melt, it simply vaporised allowing the remaining energy of the bolt to tear through the interior and shoot out the other side even as the intense heat and the explosive passage of the blast turned the Alkesh into a plume of plasma and debris.

A second Alkesh exploded, this one completely skewered by the red and white beam of one of the _Railion's_ heavy laser cannons, a beam that literally cleaved the unfortunately Alkesh in two length ways. The _Achilles_ and _McKenzie_ joined in the barrage, adding the power of their own fusion blasters and lasers to the onslaught, between them the three ships literally sent a storm of fusion plasma and laser fire down upon the Alkesh. Three more Alkesh exploded before the Jaffa pilots broke formation, the remaining two squadrons breaking in opposite directions to force the Terran ships to divide their firepower.

Arcing around the Alkesh moved towards the Terran capital ships from two separate directions, intend on unloading a first volley of energy bombs on the capital ships. Jaguar fighters fell upon the Alkesh – unleashing a storm of anti-fighter missile ordinance towards the bombers as well as fire from their own fusion blasters. Alkesh shields flashed and rippled as the missiles and lesser powered blasts from the fighters impacted them, on each ship the twin plasma turret on the underside rotated and began firing upon the Jaguar's.

Even as they fired back at the annoying fighters the single minded Jaffa pilots continued on their bombing runs, even as more defensive fire reached out from the warships towards them, intent on turning their ships into plumes of vaporised metal. Another Alkesh exploded as it was pierced by the luminous blue line of a fusion beam, but still the Jaffa continued to guide their vessels forward.

Four Alkesh passed over the top of the destroyer _McKenzie_, as they did so brilliant white spheres dropped from their undersides and impacted the destroyer's shields, to detonate with enormous force. A ghostly outline flared around the destroyer as the _McKenzie's_ almost skin tight shields dispersed and reflected the imparted energy back out into space. Even as the small warship rocked with the impact she fired back at the Alkesh that were now driving towards the _Railion's_ starboard side.

As they closed in the heavy cruisers starboard fusion blaster turrets opened up, the _McKenzie_ fired her port side blasters at the same time and between them the cruiser and destroyer erected a literal killing ground of fusion plasma, a killing ground that the four Alkesh ran right into. Three of the Goa'uld bombers exploded almost in unison as they were impacted by half a dozen bolts each. The final bomber passed over the _Railion_ dropping four energy bombs on the cruiser as it did so, the blasts illuminating the _Railion's_ defensive shield but failing to inflict any additional damage to the larger warship.

There numbers cut in half during the first pass at their gods enemies the six remaining Alkesh regrouped for another assault. The Jaffa on each ship knew that they were doomed, but it did not matter to them, they would die in the service of their god and earn themselves an honoured place in the afterlife. With the religious conviction of those who knew they were right the Jaffa pilots and gunners guided their ships round for another pass at the Terran warships.

* * *

**Bridge**

**TFS Railion**

Commander Aaron Larsen scowled as he observed the alien bombers coming back around for another pass. He didn't understand what the alien pilots were hoping to accomplish with another run, neither the _Railion_ nor the _McKenzie_ had sustained any real damage from the first bombing run and between the two of them and the _Achilles_ they'd destroyed half the bombers. He would have thought it would be obvious to the aliens that another bombing run would be simply committing suicide.

As he watched the aliens came back towards them and ran straight into a wall of fusion bolts fired from all three warships. _Why are they doing this,_ he thought watching one of the bombers exploded, followed a millisecond later by another, _why throw their lives away like this, they have to know that they don't have enough firepower to hurt us._

"Foolish," Colonel Harris said softly from the first officer's station, putting voice to Aaron's own thoughts. "And brave, they must know that they don't have the firepower to hurt, let alone destroy us, but they continue to try."

"This is suicide not bravery, colonel," Aaron replied as another enemy bomber went up. "What I don't understand is why send twelve small bombers to attack us like this? It makes no sense, whoever gave the orders must have known that they were sending those crews to their deaths. We're missing something here, colonel."

Colonel Harris started to open her mouth to ask exactly what they could be missing, when the sensors came to life, bleeping an urgent warning.

"Commander there is another hyperspace window opening bearing one zero nine mark two nine six, distance thirty thousand kilometres," sensors reported, "reading two alien capital ships, and four more bombers."

"That's why they sent those twelve on ahead," Aaron growled under his breath. "They were decoys, designed to distract us while the capital ships closed in without us noticing them."

"Pretty cold blooded thinking," Harris said as plasma blasts began to impact the shields as both alien capital ships opened fire on the three smaller Terran vessels.

"Indeed. Helmsman bring us about to face the alien capital ships, all beam weapons to target the capital ships and open fire. Divert fusion blasters to taking out enemy bombers and fighters," Aaron instructed. "Communications instruct the destroyers to do the same. Tactical is the PAC charged?"

"Yes sir."

"Then fire at the alien capital ships as soon as you've got target lock."

"Aye sir," tactical answered as the _Railion_ shuddered under a fresh volley of alien plasma fire.

* * *

**Goa'uld Ha'tak**

Lord Deimos, Planet Lord in service to the System Lord Poseidon, smiled as he watched the first salvos of plasma fire from his two Ha'tak-class motherships slam into the shields of the Terran warships without opposition. The squadron of Alkesh he had dispatched ahead of the forces he'd been hurriedly commanded by Poseidon to lead, had done their job and distracted the enemy long enough for him to arrive and get in the first strike.

"My Lord the enemy warships are starting to turn to fire upon us," his first prime reported from the main console. Deimos nodded, he could see it himself on the tactical display that the Terran warships were starting to manoeuvre to bring their weapons to bear on him. Warning icons on the display warned that the powerful Human weapons were targeting his ship, a fact reinforced a second later by a violent shudder in the deck as three energy beams slammed into his ships shields.

"**Keep firing," **he instructed as another blast shook the ship. **"Arm energy torpedoes and prepare to fire on my command."**

"Yes my lord."

As his first prime carried out his bidding Deimos studied the tactical situation outside. The last of the diversionary Alkesh had been destroyed, swatted from the sky by the Terrans powerful pulse weapons, weapons that the sensors confirmed were plasma based but in away the Goa'uld had never encountered before. The Terran weapons seemed to fire some kind of charged deuterium pulse, a pulse that packed an impressive punch. The four bombers that had remained with his Ha'tak's as an escort remained close ready to receive his bidding.

As he watched the largest enemy warship completed its turn so its bow was pointing right at his ship. For a moment more nothing happened then the sensors reported a massive energy spike on the Terran vessel along with a massive surge in neutron particle activity. _Ugh oh,_ he thought a second before a powerful beam of neutron particles shot out from the Terran ship and slammed into his own ships shields. He held onto the armrests of his pel'tac throne as the ship rocked violently with the impact.

"**Damage report Jaffa."**

"Shields at sixty percent my lord," his first prime reported.

"**Fire energy torpedoes at the enemy flagship," **Deimos ordered as six rapid energy beam strikes to his ships weakened shields made their presence felt. **"Divert power from the hyperdrive to the shield generators and instruct all gunners to concentrate fire on the enemy flagship."**

"As my lord commands."

* * *

From the underside of the Ha'tak commanded by Lord Deimos emerged four brilliant white spheres of energy, upon leaving the launcher on the Ha'tak the four energy torpedoes shot towards the _Railion_. Simultaneously every plasma cannon that could be brought to bear by both Ha'tak's fired upon the heavy cruiser.

Moving far more rapidly than the energy torpedoes the standard plasma bolts and their few heavier cousins reached the _Railion_, slamming into her shields with searing, white hot force that set the shield aglow. The glow brightened as more and more plasma shots struck home forcing the shield to work that much harder to deflect or disperse the intense energy influx. To make matters worse for the beleaguered shield generators and emitters the first of the energy torpedoes came in, making the shield around the whole ship flare brilliantly, the next two came in further stressing the shield, an explosion erupted on a section of the _Railion's_ forward hull as an overwhelmed shield emitter blew out, opening up a small hole in the cruisers forward shields.

Immediately a secondary emitter began to power up to replace the blown emitter and restore shield integrity, but it wasn't quite quick enough. The forth energy torpedo flew in through the gap in the _Railion's_ shields and detonated in a brilliant flash against the thick armoured hull.

The thick armour resisted the intense heat and energy or the detonating torpedo for several nanoseconds, before disintegrating at the point of impact allowing the raging energy storm to claw at then through the inner hull where it played over the delicate internal systems like a blowtorch. Inside the ship whole bulkheads blew apart from the enormous concussive force of the blast, hull support girders were ripped from their moorings and sent crashing down on fleeing crewmen and women. Secondary explosions erupted as whole systems blew out or crashed spreading destruction and damage all through the _Railion's_ forward compartments.

As the detonation flash of the torpedo faded the _Railion_ began to list over to her starboard side, blazing gas and debris shooting out of the white hot rent ripped in her hull. With a faint shimmer the forward shield came back up, the hole in its defences closing as secondary emitters powered up.

* * *

**Bridge**

**TFS Railion**

Commander Aaron Larsen groaned and coughed as he picked himself up. His right arm was throbbing from where he had been hurled out of his command chair to the deck by the hit to the hull, but nothing felt broken. Thick smoke hung in the air of the bridge, courtesy of two fires that were blazing at two separate points on the bridge.

"Damage report," he ordered before coughing again in the dark, acrid smoke.

On the right hand side of the bridge Colonel Rebecca Harris picked herself up off the deck and returned to her station, and brought up a damage report. "Hull ruptured forward starboard sections three through nine on decks ten, eleven and twelve, pressure doors have closed," she reported. "We've got fires in all surrounding compartments, fire control crews are responding. Engineering reports that antimatter reactor one has suffered damage to its primary containment field generator and has automatically scrammed to prevent antimatter release.

"Primary power conduits to forward weapons grid have been severed by the fires; most of our forward energy weapons are inoperative, including the particle accelerator cannon, its projection matrix has been wrecked, there is no way we're going to get it back. Primary shield emitter number three has blown out completely; secondary generators have cut in restoring shield integrity but only at fifty percent. Casualty reports coming in from all forward decks, sickbay is responding."

Aaron scowled at the reports of damage, the alien torpedo had inflicted a serious amount of damage to his ship; damage that would mean the _Railion_ would spend a good few weeks in space dock at Epsilon Eridani being repaired.

"Sensors what's the status of the enemy ships," he ordered.

"The leading ship has restored shields to eighty percent, commander," sensors reported just as the bridge doors opened and a fire control crew raced onto the bridge to deal with the fires. "The other ships shields are at ninety percent. They've shifted their firepower to the _Achilles_ and the _McKenzie_. Both destroyers are taking a pounding sir, especially the _Achilles_ her shields are down to forty percent and falling."

Aaron frowned again, they had to help the _Achilles_ and the _McKenzie_ somehow but with most of their forwards weapons systems off line due to lack of power what could they do. There was only one thing they could do; a trump card that they could hopefully still play that could potentially swing the battle back into their favour.

"Tactical are our forward missile launchers still operational?"

"Yes sir, all three forward missile tubes ready as fully operational," tactical reported.

"Excellent, Colonel Harris do you agree that we need to break out our heaviest weapons to have a chance of winning this battle?"

"Yes sir," Rebecca answered a predatory gleam in her hazel eyes as she realised what her commanding officer was proposing they use.

"Good," Aaron said then put his hand on a small pedestal like console besides the command chair, a console that was designed mostly to give the commanding officer a way of quickly assessing the ships systems, but which had another function. "Computer this is Commander Larsen, arm antimatter weapons. Authorisation code six, zero, four nine, four, alpha foxtrot."

"_Primary authorisation code confirmed,"_ the synthetic sounding voice of the _Railion's_ computer responded, _"awaiting secondary authorisation code."_

Colonel Harris put a hand on her own console. "Computer this is Colonel Harris, confirm activation of antimatter weapons. Authorisation code five, nine, nine, six, one, delta, nine."

"_Secondary authorisation code confirmed, awaiting final code to arm antimatter weaponry."_

"Computer this is Commander Larsen, final authorisation code zero, zero, four, one, strike."

"_Authorisation codes confirmed antimatter weapons armed."_

"Tactical load port and starboard forward missile tubes one to twelve with antimatter missiles," Aaron instructed.

"Aye sir," the tactical officer responded sounding a little nervous, which was only to be expected. By definition the Startiger antimatter missiles the _Railion_ carried in addition to her Starwolf fusion missiles were strategic weapons and were thus very rarely used. "Tubes loaded."

"Target both alien capital ships."

"Aye sir, acquiring targets, feeding into missile guidance systems, missiles locked on target."

"Fire!"

* * *

A shudder ran through the whole length of the _Railion_ as twelve Startiger missiles – each with a fifty kilogram matter/antimatter warhead – emerged from her forward missile tubes and streaked towards both Goa'uld Ha'tak's at 50 PSL.

Instantly the Goa'uld sensors detected the presence of the antimatter warheads, realising the danger both Ha'tak's started firing their more rapidly firing secondary plasma cannons at the incoming weapons in an attempt to shoot them down. Rapid fire bolts of golden light shot towards the Startiger missiles but with the missiles being fired from such a close range and moving so fast the Jaffa gunners had little chance of downing them all. A single missile took a hit and instantly turned a small area of space into a brilliant white fireball as the warhead detonated with the explosive force of 2.1 gigatons to TNT.

The remaining eleven missiles split into two prongs and moments later slammed into their targets. Six missiles smashing into one Ha'tak, five into the other. The whole area went white with multiple massive detonations that ceased both Goa'uld ships in the raging firestorm of matter/antimatter mutual annihilation.

Already weakened by the earlier particle beam strike from the _Railion_ and follow up blasts of heavy laser and heavy fusion beam fire the shields on Lord Deimos' Ha'tak flared out of existence, unable to withstand the maelstrom unleashed upon them. Waves of pure radiation and energy washed over the Ha'tak, ceasing it in the grip of forces it had never been designed to withstand and had no defence against. Armour and the hull metal underneath flashed to vapour instantly, allowing the energetic maelstrom into the interior of the ship, where it tore through every deck, every compartment, washing them away as if they had never existed, those onboard the Ha'tak – including Lord Deimos – never knew what was happening to them, their bodies vaporising along with their ship before they could register anything at all.

The second Ha'tak fared better than the other ship; its shields resisted the worst of the firestorm only flaring out of existence as the energy storm began to ebb away. Even so armour vaporised allowing fists of superheated plasma and radiation into the interior of the Goa'uld warship, setting off a cascading series of secondary explosions all through the ship.

When the blazing nebula of plasma and hard radiation generated by the antimatter blasts cooled and dissipated only one Ha'tak remained crippled and helplessly spinning like a top and with multiple blazing gashes torn in its hull.

* * *

**Bridge**

**TFS Railion**

Aaron Larsen kept his eyes on the main holographic display screen as the brilliant light of the antimatter blasts faded away and the inferno they'd triggered dissipated. Only one enemy ship remained on fire and tumbling helplessly through space. Of the other ship and the escorting bombers there was no sign, they'd been completely vaporised. _Poor devils,_ he thought thinking about any survivors on the remaining ship. Like everyone else on the bridge he knew the alien ship would have been transformed into a veritable hell in space by the enormous blast.

"Sensors what is the status of the remaining enemy ship," he asked sombrely.

"Enemy ship is very badly damaged, sir," sensors reported. "They've lost main power, shields and weapons. Large areas of the enemy ship have been opened to space and all propulsion systems appear to be off line."

"Life signs?"

"There are some mostly confined to the core areas of the pyramid structure. There are no life signs in the outer areas of the ship all those sections are flooded with high levels of gamma and neutron radiation. Anyone in there never had a chance, poor devils. Sir the enemy ship is falling into the gravity pull of the planets moon, they'll crash into the moons surface in approximately four minutes."

"Communications contact the _McKenzie_ tell them to intercept the alien ship and tow it into a safe orbit. There has been enough death here today."

"Aye sir. Sir we're receiving a message from Major Dalton, they've recovered the survivors of the _Charles Darwin's _landing party and are about to return to the ship. They're requesting that a medical team meet them in the hanger bay, apparently one of the survivors is badly injured."

"Understood. Pass the message to sickbay."

"Aye sir."

"Tactical stand down from battle stations and recall our remaining fighters. Helmsman plot a course back to Epsilon Eridani, as soon as the lander is aboard we will be leaving this place."

"Aye sir," came the replies from the respective station.

* * *

**Planets Surface**

**A Few Minutes Earlier**

Professor Melinda Jackson smiled in pure relief as the forest gave way to a clearing, a clearing in which sat what had to be the most beautiful site she had ever seen. Sitting there was the angular form of a Peregrine-class assault lander, it was not a nice ship to look at in fact it resembled nothing so much as a mutant beetle with all the weaponry it sported, but right now it didn't matter. It was beautiful right now because of the promise of safety it offered, that the nightmare that this planet had become would soon be over and that they would be on their way back to the safety of the Terran Federation.

She had never been more relieved than when Major Dalton and his posse of marines had appeared out of the forest, silent as ghosts despite the fact that as Centaurans they all weighed a few hundred pounds in normal gravity, to rescue herself, Karen, Sergeant Walkman and the still unconscious Lieutenant Franklin from their precarious position. They'd also recovered Marco's body and would take it up to the _Railion_ ready for its journey home to Marco's family.

"Almost home professor," Mark Dalton said his thick Centauran accent muffled slightly by his helmet.

"Yes major," Melinda replied. "I don't mind telling you that I'll be glad to see the back of this planet, there has been so much death here."

"I know what you mean, ma'am," Mark answered as they started across the clearing towards the lander. "Though I doubt what's happened here today is the end of it, the aliens killed an ambassador and destroyed three of our warships. I fear we may be heading for war."

"I hope not but as you say it's likely that will be the result now," Melinda admitted though she didn't like the idea, and despite the featureless metal of his deployed helmet she could tell that Major Dalton didn't relish the prospect of interstellar war either. It was understandable as since he was an officer in the Federal Guard he would know how destructive it could potentially turn out to be, especially with modern weapons.

Before she could say anything else a brilliant golden bolt of energy passed mere inches in front of her face. The brilliance of the energy bolt dazzled her and reflexively she ducked, just in time to avoid a second blast of energy that would have taken off her head. This time she heard the distinctive hissing, whooshing sound of the alien energy weapons. _Oh no not again,_ she thought realising that now on the brink of safety they were being attacked again.

"Get into the lander," Major Dalton ordered as he spun around bringing his pulse rifle to bear on where the plasma fire seemed to be coming from. Out of the trees a squad of the strange Human-looking aliens in armour – some with strange helmets that looked a bit like the head of a Great White shark but most without – were approaching firing strange staff like weapons at them from the hip as they approached. _Though their accuracy leaves a lot to be desired,_ he thought as golden plasma bolts whizzed past, none coming close enough to strike either his marines or the survivors to the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party, survivors who were already scrambling up the ramp into the lander or in the case of Lieutenant Franklin being pushed up there on a portable antigrav stretcher.

Levelling his pulse rifle he returned fire, sending a bolt of blood red light into the torso of the leading alien soldier. The alien cried out and crumpled but was dead before he hit the ground. Headless of the loss his compatriots kept coming, firing constantly. One blow struck Mark high on his chest and instantly broke apart, the heat and energy being dissipated by the light battle uniforms dispersion layer. Even so if felt like someone had punched him hard and he knew he would have a nasty bruise when he took off his armour. With only a grunt to show he felt the impact he fired back, striking another opponent in the torso.

Additional pulse blasts began to shoot towards the advancing aliens as the rest of his marines started firing back at their antagonists, even as more aliens emerged from the forest. It looked like there was a full company of them advancing on their position. _Damn where the hell did our air support go,_ he thought wondering where the two Jaguar fighters had disappeared to even as he began firing rapid fire pulse blasts towards the enemy.

"Everyone fall back to the lander," he ordered ducking slightly to avoid an energy bolt, even though his helmet used the same poly-metallic alloys as the armour panels in the light battle uniform and thus was highly resistant to energy based weapons. Another energy bolt caught him, striking him dead centre in the middle of his chest and knocking him over onto his back. As before his armours dispersion web dispersed the heat and energy of the blast, the warning icon for dispersion web overload appeared on his HUD, he would not be able to take another hit like that.

Awkwardly as the blow had winded him he sat up and fired back at the alien who'd shot him. It was at that moment that what looked like a new star burst into existence in the sky, throwing everything into sharp relief with a massive blaze of photons. Automatic filters built into the helmet cut in, reducing the light to a more manageable level. With a smile he noticed that the aliens had stopped firing and instead were staggering about blinded by the brilliant flash of light.

Slowly the light faded as the explosion somewhere in space dissipated, though the aliens remained stumbling about either permanently blinded by the flash or just very badly dazzled. Either way it was an opportunity to escape that was far too good to miss.

"Everyone aboard the lander now," he instructed over the squad command frequency as he got his feet back under him.

"Sir yes, sir," the marines answered and quickly began racing up the ramp into the interior of the lander. Two by two the marines started to ascend the ramp into the lander; some of them constantly hung back – Mark amongst them – to cover for their fellows. They had no way of knowing how long their adversaries would remain disorientated after the unexpected momentary presence of a second sun above this world. A sun that Mark knew could only be caused by one thing – antimatter detonation though whether it was from the firing of antimatter weapons or the detonation of a ships reactor cores he couldn't say.

It took only moments for all the marines to retreat to the safety of the lander. Mark Dalton was the last on board, walking backwards up the ramp so he could keep his pulse rifle trained on the aliens some of home seemed to be recovering from their dazed state. Crossing the threshold into the lander he used his implant to order the door to close.

"Pilot raise our shield then get us air born and contact the _Railion_ tell them we're on our way back up," he called into the cockpit even as he used his implant again, this time to direct his helmet to retract, as he spoke a loud thud echoed through the hull, followed by another thud, then a dozen more.

"What's that," Melinda asked looking around in concern as more thuds echoed through the hull.

"Our 'friends' outside," Mark explained. "They must be firing at us," as he spoke the loud thuds stopped to be replaced by a much more quiet thudding sound as the alien weapons impacted a force field instead of armour.

Sitting down Mark inwardly chuckled as he imagined the frustration of the aliens as they found themselves suddenly unable to harm the lander.

* * *

Deployed into a series of concentric circles around the Peregrine-class lander the Jaffa fired their staffs constantly, making the ships hull seem to glow as its shield dispersed the plasma blasts and radiated the heat and energy back into the air. Though there fire seemed to be having little or no effect on the alien craft the Jaffa stubbornly kept firing, knowing sooner or later the shield would give out allowing them to resume their attack on those who dared defy the will of Poseidon.

Abruptly a humming sound began to come from the Terran craft and it began to lift off the ground, the air under it rippling with the intense distortion of antigrav thrusters. Incensed that their prey was trying to get away from them the Jaffa increased fire if at all possible, making the staffs grow warm in their hands as they unleashed bolt after bolt. Seemingly contemptuously the alien ship hung a few inches off the ground, its shield glowing softly.

Then the lander started to turn, aiming its blunt noise at the skies and its main drive activated and it shot upwards. The intense shockwave produced by the engaging of the main engines slammed into the Jaffa and knocked them flying backwards amid a mist of disturbed soil and torn up meadow grass. An ear splitting boom shattered the air - sending the bird-analogues that nested in the trees into panicked flight – as the lander broke through the sound barrier. By the time the shockwave died away enough for the battered and bruised Jaffa to pick themselves up there was no sign of the transport, beyond a faint, shrinking dark speck in the sky.

Frustrated and helpless the Jaffa watched until it disappeared entirely, before reluctantly turning and walking back into the forest. They knew that Lord Poseidon would not be pleased that they had failed to stop the intruders and that they would feel his wrath. But it was only fitting, they had failed there god. It was only right that he punish them.

* * *

Sitting in her seat aboard the lander Professor Melinda Jackson finally allowed herself to completely relax as the planet that had almost claimed the lives of all her landing party fell away behind them. In another few minutes she knew they would dock with the _Railion_ and begin the journey back home.

Now that she was in no immediate danger of being killed Melinda allowed herself to think about Tim Drake and the rest of the _Charles Darwin's_ crew, she hoped they were alright. That they hadn't taken to many casualties when the aliens forced them to flee orbit, stranding her and the others on the planet. She'd known almost all the crew so long that the prospect of any of them joining the lists of those murdered by the aliens was almost enough to make her want to cry.

"Are you okay, professor," Major Dalton asked seeing the look on her face.

"Not really, major. I'm worried about the _Darwin_ and everyone aboard her."

"I understand ma'am. I don't really know much about what has happened to the _Charles Darwin_ but I know most of the crew survived. Including Commander Drake, but I don't know about the ship itself. You'll have to wait till we get back to Epsilon Eridani to find out more."

Melinda nodded and gave a smile of thanks a moment before the pilot called back from the cockpit. "Okay people," the pilot said. "We're beginning docking manoeuvres for the _Railion's_ port hanger bay, please ensure you seats and tray tables are in their upright and locked positions."

The pilots comment was met with soft laughter around the compartment, even from the exhausted survivors of the _Charles Darwin_ landing party. Though it was a completely extraneous comment it brought a smile to everyone's faces, which was just what the pilot intended.

With a faint smile on his face Lieutenant Patrick Sheppard turned his attention back to the helm controls and his task of guiding them in to dock with the _Railion_.

* * *

**Bridge**

**TFS Railion**

**A Few Moments Later**

"Sir the assault lander has set down in our starboard hanger bay and is secure," Colonel Harris reported from the first officer station.

"Excellent," Aaron Larsen replied, relived that the lander was finally back on board. He just hoped that Major Dalton hadn't lost any of his people there had been more than enough death here today already. "Sensors what's the status of the _McKenzie_?"

"They've finished towing the disabled alien ship into a safe orbit over the moon, sir," sensors reported. "They're just disengaging their tractor beam and are moving to rejoin formation."

"Good. Helmsman as soon as the _McKenzie_ is…" Aaron started to say only to be interrupted by the bleeping of the sensors.

"Commander the weapons on the enemy ship just came back online," sensors called out. "There targeting the _McKenzie_. The destroyer is transferring power back from her tractor beams to her shields, sir the aliens are firing."

Aaron nodded he could see it himself. On the holographic screen he saw a stream of brilliant gold energy bolts erupt from the badly damaged alien warship and rip unopposed into the underside of the _McKenzie_ before the destroyer could restore her shields – as destroyers didn't have the power generation capacity to use shields and tractor beams at the same time.

Before his horrified eyes the near constant stream of plasma bolts tore through the _McKenzie's_ thinly armoured hull, ate their way through the ships twenty-four decks and shot out the top of the ship, breaking the _McKenzie's_ spine. The two halves of the ship split apart, spewing debris and the already dead bodies of crew into the cold, unforgiving void of space. For a few moments out of time the two halves of the destroyer drifted apart then the antimatter cores let go and the ship erupted into a maelstrom of energy, fire and radiation that seemed to momentarily rip space apart.

"Communications contact the _Achilles,_" Aaron ordered his voice hard and cold with the rage burning nova hot inside of him. They had extended the survivors on the damaged alien ship mercy and prevented there ship from crashing into the moon, and this was how the aliens repaid them, by mercilessly slaughtering their saviour. Well now they were going to pay for their decision. "Tell them to blast that ship out of the sky," he finished.

"I think there way ahead of us," Colonel Harris answered her own anger and horror plane to here in her voice.

Aaron nodded again as three brilliant energy beams, two of them heavy lasers the other a fusion beam and a barrage of fusion blaster bolts converged on the alien warship. The full force alpha strike from every one of the _Achilles_ forward weapons arrays ripping through the aliens reforming shields as if they didn't exist and tore deep tear into the hull.

The alien warship literally seemed to crumple under the blows, a second volley of laser fire and fusion bolts slammed into the ship, shooting down into the holes blown by the first salvo. It was too much for the battered warship and slowly it began to break apart from within, the metal of its hull rippling and tearing apart allowing massive tongues of blazing plasma and radiation to lick out at open space. After a moment a brilliant whitish blue light erupted from deep within the ship as its reactor cores unable to take anymore detonated. The explosion completely enveloped the ship and when it faded there was nothing left of the alien vessel but an expanding, cooling plume of plasma and debris.

"Alien vessel's been destroyed sir," sensors reported unnecessarily.

"So I see. Scan the debris fields for any sign of survivors," Aaron replied, though he knew that survivors were unlikely he still needed to check, needed to be sure.

"Aye sir," the officer at the station responded and manipulated his controls. Silently, invisibly the _Railion's_ sensors reached out across space and began to sweep the spreading debris clouds that were all that remained of both the _McKenzie_ and the alien ship, searching for any sign that someone had somehow, miraculously survived the destruction of both ships.

After a moment the sensors delivered an expected but still emotionally crushing report. "Scan complete sir, no life signs detected anywhere in the debris fields," sensors reported sombrely. "They're all gone."

"I see," Aaron replied and closed his eyes in pain for a moment. He had hoped that somehow, someone could have survived especially from the _McKenzie_ as Terran ships were designed to have areas that in theory would remain intact even if the antimatter cores blew. A design that obviously hadn't worked and whose failure had led to the loss of all hands on the destroyer. It was another thing to curse the aliens for.

After a few moments of silence he opened his eyes again. "Make a note in the ships log," he instructed. "TFS _McKenzie_ lost with all hands."

"Aye sir," Colonel Harris entered inwardly cursing the aliens for yet more slaughter. A slaughter that was definitely going to lead to war, there was no way the deaths of thousands of Federal Guard officers and crew would go unpunished. Quietly she entered the information while quietly saying a prayer for the lost souls.

"Note entered into the log, commander."

"Thank you, Colonel. Alright lets get the hell out of here before anything else happens. Helmsman send destination coordinates to the _Achilles_, then take us out of orbit and engage the hyperdrive, take us home."

"Aye sir."

* * *

Silently the _Railion_ and the _Achilles_ the only surviving warships from the original relief force of six broke out of orbit of the planet that had caused so much bloodshed. They headed into deep space as their hyperdrives powered up. As when they had set out the two ships combined the subspace fields of their hyperdrives and opened an enormous hyperspace window. With an effortless grace the battered and battle scarred ships disappeared into the vortex bound for Epsilon Eridani and the safety of Terran controlled territory.

* * *

Unnoticed in the control cabin of a single small ship – hidden from both the naked eye and sensors by a sophisticated cloaking system – two figures watched them leave. The small vessel had followed the last two Goa'uld Ha'tak's to this system – the sudden movements of Poseidon's fleet catching their attention so they'd followed to see what the System Lord was up to. What they had witnessed was not something they could have ever anticipated.

"**It appears that the System Lords have made a new enemy,"** the one figure said in the distorted voice of a symbiote speaking through a host, though he was no Goa'uld.

"**Indeed. And whoever these new Humans are they appear to be very powerful. The High Council must be informed,"** the other – this one a young woman – answered. **"If we can contact these Humans they could be of great help to our cause."**

"**Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Anise," **the other cautioned. **"But I see where you are coming from. We will take this to the council; let them decide what if anything we should do about this."**

"**As always you are correct, Selmak,"** Anise answered as she disengaged the cloaking device as it was no longer needed as there were no Goa'uld ships left, brought the cargo ships engines online and guided them away from the site of battle. They would have to clear the radiation cloud left by the battle – especially the radiation left by the detonation of unheard of antimatter weapons – before being able to safely jump into hyperspace.

As soon as it was safe to do so Anise activated the hyperdrive and sent the cargo ship rocketing into hyperspace, on course for the closest Tok'ra base. She and Selmak had very important news to deliver to the High Council.

The news that there was a powerful new player in the age old war with the System Lords, a player who could potentially turn the tide of the war at last in the favour of the Tok'ra.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**TFS Railion**

**A Short Time Later**

Professor Melinda Jackson stood in silent contemplation before the view port on the _Railion's_ starboard observation deck. It was one of the view places on the cruiser that you could look out at space as most outer compartments didn't have windows so as not to present weak spots in the thick skin of trinium/monobonded carbon weave armour that covered the hull, there was only two parts of the ship were there was an exception to that. Like all warships a long grove ran along the port and starboard sides of the vessel around the central decks, running between the hanger bays and the forward missile tubes. Windows were present in this area giving the crew – and senior officers whose quarters had windows – a view out at space.

Currently there was nothing to see, beyond the luminous blue tunnel effect of hyperspace that was, but that didn't stop Melinda from standing there just looking. When you thought about it there was a hypnotic beauty to hyperspace travel, a beauty that seemed to carry your troubles away in its shimmering fields of subspace energy. Unfortunately for Melinda though it wasn't working, try as she might she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened back on the planet and what she now knew had happened in orbit when the _Railion_,_ Achilles_ and a number of other Federal Guard ships and a diplomatic ship had come to rescue her and her team.

Thinking and trying to make sense of it especially the unwarranted aggression the aliens had displayed towards them. _Why would they attack us the way they did,_ she thought, _surely it would have been easier to just ask us to leave if we violated their space. _She shook her head, it made no sense at all as all the aliens had done was attack and kill and when Ambassador Trainer spoke to them they just demanded their surrender and when refused committed what by Terran standards was a war crime by destroying an unarmed diplomatic transport. An action that on top of everything else was almost certainly going to lead to something that every citizen of the Federation had hoped and prayed would never happen to them as it had to their ancestors.

It could lead to war.

Melinda shuddered at the very thought that her race could soon be at war if they weren't already. The last time they had been in that position was over a hundred and fifty years ago when an experiment went horribly, horribly wrong. Scientists working at a remote facility had made Issac Asimov's dream of a positronic brain a reality and created the first true artificial intelligence. For a while the experiment had seemed to work but then something went horribly, horribly wrong. The A.I turned on them, on its creators, and tried to enslave them convinced that it could manage the Federation and its people more efficiently than its creators could.

Naturally they'd fought back against the machine army and a war had erupted that was fiercer and bloodier than anything the Terran race had ever known. A war that had claimed hundreds of millions of lives and seen two star systems swept clean of all human life; four colony planets destroyed their surfaces burned to glass by copious amounts of antimatter warheads. The Terran races development had been set back by centuries as so much had been destroyed, so much knowledge so many minds lost forever in antimatter or nuclear fire. The horror and pain of that war had changed there people forever.

And now it appeared that they were on course for a new war. A war that had the potential to be even more destructive than the A.I War, not only because it would be with an alien civilisation whose full abilities were unknown to them but because weapons technology had advanced a lot since the A.I War. Though she was not a member of the Federal Guard herself Melinda had been around Tim Drake and other soldiers long enough to know just how incredibly powerful modern weapons were. She knew enough to know that a Trafalgar-class cruiser like the _Railion_ had enough firepower in its missiles and energy weapons to glass a planet in relatively short order.

After a moment she sighed softly, though it was for the politicians to decide she personally didn't see anyway that they could avoid war. The aliens whoever they were had given absolutely no sign that they were interested in peaceful relations with them. Her team had born a large brunt of the alien's unprovoked aggression. Thinking about Fred, Marco and all the others who'd died at the aliens hands made her eyes start to burn with tears of grief and anger, they hadn't deserved their fate. And of the survivors all were injured to some degree mostly bruises and pulled muscles, though Lieutenant Franklin was the worst as his one arm was wrecked. Last time she'd checked Franklin had been in surgery having his arm removed and having nano-neural transducers implanted in the stump so he could be given a replacement arm when they got him to the more advanced medical facilities on Epsilon Eridani III; facilities that were among the best in the Federation especially in the field of cyber organics.

The sound of the door opening caught her attention bringing her out of her increasingly bleak thoughts, but she didn't look away from the swirling slipstream of hyperspace. After a moment she saw Commander Larsen's reflection in the transparent surface.

"Is there something I can do for you commander," she asked turning to look at him. She had briefly met him when they'd been brought onboard but at the time had been to busy worrying about the survivors of her team to really notice him. Now she gave him a quick once over. At 5'11 Commander Larsen was unusually tall for a Centauran – due to the high gravity of their homeworld they rarely exceeded 5'6 to 5'8 in height – but other than that he was typical of a male native of his world. Broad shouldered and very muscular – though he did look slightly uncomfortable, but the whole crew seemed to be the same as they'd reduced the _Railion's_ gravity field strength to Terran normal – as opposed to precisely mirroring the 1.4 gee gravity of their world – initially till some damaged conduits could be repaired but they'd kept it at the norm for the comfort of their passengers.

"No professor, I just came to tell you that we're coming up on Epsilon Eridani," Aaron Larsen answered. "We'll be dropping out of hyperspace within the next five minutes."

"I see," Melinda replied her shoulders relaxing a little bit more. Though she knew they were safe on the _Railion_, surrounded by armour, shields and batteries of powerful weapons, in her heart she would not feel truly safe till she felt the solid ground of a Terran world beneath her feet. "Thank you for telling me," she continued.

"Your welcome professor," Aaron replied before stepping a little closer. "Are you alright," he asked having noticed the haunted look in Melinda's eyes.

"Not really," Melinda admitted turning back to look at hyperspace. "I can't stop thinking about what happened; I wish I knew why we were attacked. We were no threat to anyone – if we'd inadvertently violated their space surely it would have been easier for the aliens to ask us to leave."

"I'd be lying if I said it hadn't been bothering me as well," Aaron said coming to stand beside her. "These human-looking aliens whoever or whatever they are seem to be incredibly aggressive with no concept of the rules of war as we understand them. Hopefully we'll get some answers from the computer of the captured alien bomber and the prisoner we've got in our brig."

"A prisoner," Melinda asked glancing over at Aaron, she didn't recall a mention of them having a prisoner when they boarded the ship. Though her mind had been occupied by other matters at the time so even if she had been told she doubted she would remember it, unless she deliberately made a note with her implant.

Aaron nodded. "The alien bomber we brought onboard after our first battle with the aliens had a crew of three," he explained. "One was killed during boarding action; another had died from injuries that were presumably sustained when the bomber was sent flying when we destroyed one of the alien capital ships. The third pilot was unconscious and sent to the brig. Doctor Cadwalder gave him a once over and aside from a minor concussion he should be fine."

"We should get some answers then, we deserve them given the price we've paid in blood," Melinda answered, then sighed again. "I'm especially curious as to why they look so much like us."

"The mystery goes a little bit deeper than that," Aaron replied before filling the professor in on what Doctor Cadwalder had discovered when she autopsied the bodies of the two dead alien crew. As he spoke he kept a close eye on the good professor's reactions and saw surprise flash across her face followed first by disbelief and then confusion. It was understandable as it wasn't everyday that you encountered anything like this.

"So there are two species one definitely bioengineered from a Human baseline," Melinda said thoughtfully. "It would explain why there was an Egyptian style pyramid on the planet, if they were taken from Earth sometime in the very distant past from the Middle East and Saharan Africa then they might well know that design. But who took them from Earth and why?"

"Those are good questions I wish we knew the answers."

Melinda nodded in agreement. It seemed that in going to that planet they had not only gotten into a potential war with another spacefaring civilisation but had also stumbled upon a mystery. A very big mystery that seemed to stretch back thousands of years into their races past, to the Ancient world and the Egyptian civilisation; a mystery that they would have to somehow find the answer to while at the same time possibly fighting a war against whoever the aliens were.

She started to open her mouth to make another comment when Aaron's wristcomm chimed for attention. "Typical wristcomm timing," she said with a grin. In her experience wristcomms had the most horrendous timing imaginable.

"Indeed," Aaron replied before answering the offending device. "Yes?"

"Commander we've just crossed into the Epsilon Sector," Colonel Rebecca Harris answered from the bridge. "We'll be dropping out of hyperspace in two minutes."

"Very well I'll be right there," Aaron answered before signing off. "Well duty calls, professor," he said looking up. "Would you care to join us on the bridge?"

Melinda smiled. "I'd love to," she said.

"Then please come this way," Aaron answered with a grin before leading the way off the observation deck through the corridors of the warship to the bridge.

* * *

**Two Minutes Later**

Just behind the orbit of the outermost of Epsilon Eridani Three's two moons space abruptly began to warp and distort as tremendously powerful forces were suddenly placed upon it from within. The fabric of space-time split open and a hyperspace window burst into existence with a silent roar of power, spilling light and subspace energy into normal space.

From the swirling greenish-white maelstrom that was the vortex came two dark shapes that were clearly ships, their outlines blurred and indistinct from optical distortion caused by hyperspace inertia. The distortion resolved as the two ships rapidly dumped speed, their powerful gravitic ion sublight engines easily overpowering the inertia imparted by emerging from hyperspace, revealing them to be a Trafalgar-class heavy cruiser and a Defiance-class destroyer. Behind the warships the hyperspace window evaporated as the hyperdrives of the two Terran ships ceased exerting a powerful subspace field on the fabric of space-time and powered down.

Silently, still graceful in their movements despite the fact that both of them were damaged to some degree, the _Railion_ and the _Achilles_ began to move around from behind the moon heading for planetary orbit.

* * *

**Bridge**

**TFS Railion**

Commander Aaron Larsen and Professor Melinda Jackson were just stepping onto the bridge when the faint shudder of sharp deceleration made its way through the ship appearing as a slight rippling in the air. No matter how they improved inertial dampening technology Terran engineers and scientists have never been able to fully eliminate the visible 'wobble' in the artificial gravity field that ships experienced when entering or leaving hyperspace. Being experienced spacers they both ignored the phenomenon as they entered the _Railion's_ nerve centre.

"Report," Aaron ordered as he moved over to his command chair and sat down.

"We're secure from hyperspace, sir," the helmsman reported. "We're on course for orbital insertion of Epsilon Eridani 3; the _Achilles_ is in formation with us five thousand kilometres off our starboard side."

"Excellent," Aaron replied. "Communications as soon as we enter orbit contact fifth fleet command, I need to speak with Admiral Quinton immediately."

"Aye sir," the officer manning communications answered.

Melinda paid no attention to the interaction between Commander Larsen and his crew, she'd seen orbital insertion enough times and returned to port enough times over the years to be familiar with Federal Guard procedures with regards to such things. Instead she looked around at the _Railion's_bridge as she'd never been on a Federal Guard ship this size before.

The bridge was somewhat different in design to the _Charles Darwin's_. Whereas the _Darwin's_ bridge was arc shaped facing a large view port out on space the _Railion's_ was circular. A number of workstations were spaced around the perimeter of the bridge – each with a holographic screen floating in front of their operators. A long console dominated the back of the bridge at which sat two crew members back dropped by an enormous schematic view of the ship. The command chair stood immediately in front of that console, standing on a slightly raised dais with a small console to the side at the edge of the dais. Directly in line with the command chair was a large wrap around screen at the front of the bridge that served as a view port out on space, creating its image from the ships sensors and externally mounted optical pickups. _Railion_ was a warship after all; like all vital facilities her command centre was buried deep inside her towards the very core of the ship, surrounded by as many armoured bulkheads as possible.

Currently the massive screen was pulling in an image of space immediately outside as the heavy cruiser rounded Epsilon Eridani 3's outer moon and the planet itself came into view. Though the planet looked little different to any other terra-type world in the galaxy from a distance just knowing what it represented made it the most beautiful planet in the galaxy to Melinda right now. She felt tension leave her body, leaving behind bone jarring weariness and exhaustion as she realised that they were truly safe now.

It was at that moment that the sensors chirped for attention. "Commander we're picking up a lot of activity in orbit," the officer on duty reported. "The Fifth Fleet is fully arrayed in orbit near to the starbase."

"The whole fleet," Aaron questioned in surprise. When they'd left to go on the rescue mission most of the Fifth Fleet had been deployed across this and surrounding sectors, protecting vital interstellar shipping lanes, chasing down pirates, insurrectionists and other undesirable elements. For all two hundred and twenty eight capital warships to be gathered together at Epsilon Eridani was unusual to say the least, though he supposed it was only to be expected given the state of alert that had been declared just before they left.

"Yes sir," sensors confirmed as the communications console chimed, alerting the young lieutenant stationed there to an incoming hail from the _Akira,_ the Kyoto-class battleship that was the flagship of the Fifth Fleet.

"Commander we're being hailed by the _Akira,_" the officer reported before listening to a message relayed through the small silver button-like earpiece in his one ear. "Admiral Quinton requests that you go aboard immediately after we have established parking orbit."

"Acknowledged; advise the Admiral that I'll be over shortly, ask him would he like Professor Jackson to come along," Aaron answered not at all surprised that Alexander Quinton wanted to see him immediately. Just after leaving the scene of battle they had send a subspace burst signal to Fifth Fleet HQ informing them of the outcome of the battle, no doubt Quinton wanted to hear exactly what had happened from Aaron's own lips before forwarding everything to Geneva and Fleet Admiral Kermanova.

"Aye sir," the communications officer replied before relaying the response to his counterpart on the _Akira's_ flag bridge. After a few moments their was silence on the other end of the open comm. line – all the while the _Railion_ and the _Achilles_ drew closer to planetary orbit, having to keep their speed down due to the sheer volume of orbital traffic – then the response came.

"Admiral Quinton would like Professor Jackson to be present as well," the officer answered glancing over at his commanding officer.

"Very well," Aaron answered before glancing across at Melinda. She didn't look overly enthusiastic about going over to the _Akira_; she looked frankly like she just wanted to curl up and sleep for a century, but seemed resigned to it.

"I might as well get it over with," Melinda said answering his silent look. Aaron nodded.

"Very well, communications advise the Admiral that we will be aboard shortly. Also advise him that we have an alien prisoner and captured craft to transfer to the starbase for interrogation and analysis."

"Aye sir." Again there were a few moments of silence, during which Aaron glanced at his side console assessing the status of the ship with both eyes and implant. In the few hours that had passed since they had left the scene of battle engineering and damage control had been able to get on top of most of the damage the _Railion_ had sustained. All the severed power conduits had been repaired and most of their weapons capabilities had been restored, the biggest problems remaining were the breach in the hull where that alien energy torpedo – he couldn't describe it as anything else – had struck them full on after a shield segment failed. But as spectacular as the gash in the hull looked it wouldn't be that difficult to repair with access to a shipyard – the same was true of the burned out or decompressed compartments. Having seen the effects of explosive decompression far more times in his career than he would have liked, Aaron was fully aware of the fact that those sections would be in a mess – he just hoped that the structural integrity of the hull in that area wasn't to badly damaged, if it was then his ship could be laid up in space dock for months being repaired.

"Sir Admiral Quinton still requests that you and Professor Jackson shuttle over to the _Akira_," communications reported bringing Aaron's mind out of his impromptu damage assessment. "However he is also ordering two tugs to rendezvous with us they'll take the alien ship off our hands and transport it to the space station for analysis, also a marine unit is coming from the station to take our prisoner."

"Understood, advise the admiral that we will be over as soon as possible," Aaron instructed. "Colonel Harris please have the port side hanger bay crew prepare a shuttle for immediate departure."

"Aye, sir," came the responses from both the communications officer and Aaron's loyal first officer.

As they carried out their tasks Aaron turned his command chair slightly to look at Melinda, he could tell she wasn't enthusiastic about going across to Admiral Quinton's flagship. It was understandable; she'd been through hell in the last day and was both physically and emotionally exhausted. Though a look at her eyes showed she would go with him to the _Akira_, and probably collapse from exhaustion afterwards.

"Professor might I suggest you take a few minutes to freshen up before we go across to the _Akira_," he said softly. "It might help."

"I think I will, commander," Melinda replied, what she really wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep, now that she knew they were safe exhaustion was really setting in on her. But she was obviously not going to get the chance yet, a freshen up would have to do. "If you'll be kind enough to direct me to the closest restroom I'll freshen up a bit."

"Turn left when you leave the bridge. After five metres you'll see a door, command washroom is in there," Aaron answered.

"Thank you," Melinda replied with a tired smile before leaving the bridge for the washroom. Aaron watched her go; it was perfectly obvious that the professor was going to go through a different kind of hell soon. The hell that all survivors of tragedies went through, a hell that he had seen people go through before when they survive but people they know die – sometimes before their very eyes. _If only there was some way to spare her the guilt and pain she's going to go through,_ he thought, _she and the survivors of her team have already been through enough pain to last them a lifetime._

With an inward sigh he turned his command chair back into its normal position to wait for them to achieve orbit of Epsilon Eridani III. As he did so he thought about what had happened and feared for the future of his race. The fact that there was the possibility of all out interstellar war with the aliens was unsettling to say the least. Though a lot would depend on how his report was received not just by Admiral Quinton and Fleet Admiral Kermanova but by President Denson and the cabinet. Hopefully the President would let the Federal Guard begin rebuilding their heavy units – pulling as many heavy ships out of mothballs as they could – so they could better protect the Terran Federation from its new enemy. As something told him that they hadn't seen the last of the aliens.

Not by a long shot.

* * *

**Tok'ra Base**

**Talos Prime, That Same Time**

Silence reigned in the crystalline chamber as the members of the Tok'ra High Council viewed the recordings that Selmak and Anise had made as they observed the battle between the unknown Human warships and the forces of the Goa'uld Poseidon. The journey here for the various Tok'ra bases scattered across the galaxy had been difficult and dangerous but the council members didn't mind, especially in light of this new discovery.

None of the assembled Tok'ra leaders – each holding the wisdom of thousands of years of life – spoke as they watched the warships of the unknown Humans tearing a squadron of Alkesh from the sky with powerful pulsed energy weapons that were different to anything they'd seen before. In one pass they observed half the Alkesh be destroyed, only scoring a handful of hits in return with energy bombs which seemed to do little damage to the powerful shields protecting the Human ships. Shields that themselves were different to what they were used to as these seemed to hug close to the hulls of the vessels – almost like they were a second skin above their brownish-grey armour – as opposed to the bubble-like shields employed by the Goa'uld and Asgard.

After a few moments most of the Alkesh had been eliminated, just as two Ha'tak-class motherships dropped out of hyperspace and opened fire. The move was one of the signature moves of Lord Deimos – one of Poseidon's best and most loyal lieutenants and unfortunately for Poseidon's enemies one of his most cunning military commanders. The battle ratcheted up in ferocity with the unknown Humans firing back with beam weapons that included lasers, some kind of neutron beam weapon – a weapon that depleted the shields on the lead Ha'tak by forty percent with one shot – which was impressive to say the least – and another beam weapon of unknown type but which was clearly powerful. After a couple more moments they watched as the Goa'uld managed to damage the largest of the three Human ships with a barrage of energy torpedoes – one of which penetrated its shields to breach its hull. Amazingly while damaged the Human ship wasn't destroyed or even crippled, but instead after stabilising itself after being momentarily knocked off axis by the explosive force of the torpedo continued firing. Launching a number of missiles of some kind at the Goa'uld ships – missiles that the Goa'uld desperately started trying to shoot down before they could impact; not that it did much good as only one missile was hit – vanishing in a brilliant and surprisingly large explosion.

Then the holographic screen went white as the missiles impacted the Goa'uld ships and exploded, static washed across the screen as the cloaked cargo ships sensors were momentarily blinded by the enormous explosion. When the light dimmed and the sensor interference cleared the council were stunned to see that the lead Ha'tak was gone, utterly erased from existence with no debris remaining, the other Ha'tak was severely damaged, on fire and spinning out of control towards the closest of the planets moon.

"**What was that," **Councillor Garshon asked breaking the silence, in the long years of her life she had never seen an explosion quite like that before.

"**If our sensors are to be believed the missiles fired by the Human ships had warheads fuelled by the explosive reaction of matter and antimatter,"** Anise answered, stunning the council. It was understandable – the Goa'uld had never used antimatter for anything despite its enormous potential energy output. The last Goa'uld who'd attempted to harness the volatile substances power and apply it to a new generation of weapons of mass destruction had ended up blowing himself to kingdom come. Which was a relief as the Goa'uld had enough horrible weapons as it was – though they generally weren't used as the Goa'uld weren't idiots, using a weapon of mass destruction while it would destroy the enemy would also normally destroy what the attacking System Lord wanted to capture, which was somewhat counterproductive – from the Goa'uld point of view.

"**How did they develop antimatter weaponry,"** Garshon asked breaking the silence again.

"**Unknown," **Anise replied. **"Though our sensors did not detect any evidence of naquada being present in any form on the Human ships or in their weapons, I believe that it could be possible that whoever these Humans are they've never encountered naquada."**

Silence gripped the council at that, though it would explain why these Humans had turned to antimatter for strategic weapons and possibly power generation as well. All the other advanced Human nations known to them like the Tollan, Hebridan and Orbanites used naquada in some form or another and thus never needed to invest the time and energy needed to learn how to control and harness antimatters power. Something these Humans had obviously done.

More activity on the holographic screen caught the attention of the Tok'ra Council and they watched as one of the alien ships moved to aid the damaged Ha'tak – starting to haul it out of the moons gravity well with tractor beams. It was an act of compassion and mercy that spoke well of these new Humans temperament but also indicated that they were unaware of the full nature of the Goa'uld and their Jaffa servants. A Tollan ship for example would have just let the Ha'tak crash – or if they were felling compassionate blow it to smithereens with a few ion cannon blasts or fire one of their deadly phase shifting fusion torpedoes at the ship – and not try to save the Jaffa on board knowing the Jaffa would only continue to attack them as soon as they got their weapons back.

A fact that the new Humans soon learned to their cost, when shortly after they finished pulling the Ha'tak into a safe orbit the Jaffa opened up on their rescuer with a salvo of plasma bolts from point blank range. The barrage smashed into the underside of the smaller warship and sliced upwards through the ship cleaving it in two and sending the ship and all onboard it to their doom when the severed halves of the warship exploded with enormous force. Seconds later the Jaffa joined them as the second smaller warship ripped into the Ha'tak and the Goa'uld warship disintegrated under a brutal rain of energy bolts and beams – simultaneously shattering and exploding, sending debris flying to burn up in the atmosphere of the planet. After the light of the blast faded, the holographic screen evaporated as the recording ended.

"**Shortly after they destroyed the Goa'uld forces the two remaining Human ships retrieved a large craft of unknown design from the planet," **Selmak said speaking for the first time. **"A short time later both warships broke orbit and jumped into hyperspace – the last readings we were able to get indicates both warships were heading into a sector of the galaxy that was once part of Ra's domain but has been abandoned for several thousand years."**

"**Are there any inhabitable planets in that area," **Councillor Renal asked.

"**None confirmed. Though if we go on historical records we believe that the original Human homeworld, Tau'ri, is located somewhere in that area,"** Anise answered.

For a second silence reigned in the council. The name Tau'ri had almost become a myth to Goa'uld, Tok'ra and Jaffa alike – it was the place from where the Goa'uld had first taken Humans, some to be slaves, some to be hosts and some to biologically and genetically transformed into the first Jaffa. It was also the place where the Queen Egeria had become enlightened as to the evils of taking unwilling hosts and spawned the Tok'ra before she was hunted down and executed by Ra himself for her heretical beliefs. It was a place that to their knowledge no Goa'uld had set foot on in seven thousand years, not since the uprising among that worlds population that drove them away.

"**Do you really believe that these new Humans are from there," **Renal asked Anise at last.

"**Given the amount of time that has passed since the Tau'ri Rebellion it is a possibility,"** Anise replied. **"But regardless of the possibility that these new Humans are Tau'ri we should seek them out. Their power is undisputable and the System Lords have apparently already made an adversary of them. They could potentially be strong allies in the war against the Goa'uld."**

"**We cannot make such a decision without more information about them, Anise,"** Selmak reminded his overeager colleague.

"**Selmak is correct," **High Councillor Persus said speaking for the first time. **"However I do see what you are saying, Anise. This new Human nation could be a strong ally in our battle with the Goa'uld. However as Selmak says we cannot proceed down the road of an alliance without more information about them, their capabilities and their intentions."**

"**I would suggest we send any ships we can spare to the area," **Renal said. **"With orders to find these new Humans and gather as much information on them as possible, then bring it back to this council. Then we can decide what we are going to do about them."**

One by one the other members of the High Council nodded their agreement with Renal's proposal. The Tok'ra had learned to be cautious where dealing with advanced Human nations were concerned, to often things had gone badly for them with them being tarred with the same brush as the Goa'uld as despite the massive philosophical difference of opinion the Tok'ra and the Goa'uld were the same race. Gathering information about the new player in the delicate game of outwitting the Goa'uld so they could bring them down was only logical.

"**Then the decision is made,"** Persus said at last, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the chamber. **"A Teltac will be dispatched to the area to investigate and gather information on this new Human nation, the level of their technology and any information on their intentions.**

"**Now we must decide who we will send on this mission," **he continued.

"**I will go,"** Selmak said.

"**As will I,"** Anise added. **"I am one of the best qualified amongst us to judge the level of these Humans technology."**

"**Indeed. Very well you two will go on the mission,"** Persus said. **"But let me be clear, your mission is to gather information only. Do attempt to contact or make your presence known to these Humans unless you have no other choice."**

"**Understood,"** Selmak confirmed.

"**Excellent. You will leave immediately."**

* * *

**Orbit of Epsilon Eridani III**

**A Short Time Later**

The _Railion_ hung quiet and near motionless in orbit of Epsilon Eridani Three. Two small support tenders hovered off her starboard bow, small robots flying along her flank examining the damage she had sustained and reporting it via encrypted subspace signals to their operators on the sublight only support tenders. Slowly piece by piece the crews on the tenders were building up a picture of the exact state the cruiser was in, ready to be passed along to the shipyards so a repair schedule could be drawn up.

Simultaneously two more tenders hung off the _Railion's_ open starboard hanger bay as the cruisers tractor beam in repulsion mode gently began moving the crippled alien bomber out of hanger. Slowly the vaguely pyramidal vessel began to emerge into space, as it began to appear the support tenders reached out with their own tractors. Invisible beams of gravitic force glided across space and grabbed onto the alien craft and began pulling it towards the tenders while the _Railion's_ own beam continued a gentle push. After a few moments the alien ship was clear of the _Railion's_ side and her own tractor disengaged, leaving the craft nestled in the grip of the tender's beams. Slowly with their precious cargo nestled between them the tenders turned away and began towing the alien vessel and the secrets it contained through the bustling orbital space lanes to the starfish shaped starbase over the planets northern pole.

While this was going on a single Kite-class combat shuttle left the port side of the _Railion_ and began threading its way through the crowded space towards where the Fifth Fleet floated in orbit, arrayed in a formation that made no attempt to hide its gleaming, marshal strength.

* * *

Sitting in the pilot's seat of shuttle Commander Aaron Larsen focused all his attention on guiding the small craft the relatively short distance between the _Railion_ and the _Akira_. It was not an easy task, and not just because he was somewhat out of practice when it came to flying – the normal lieutenant who'd pilot for him was currently in sickbay nursing a broken arm, two broken ribs and a punctured lung having had a very sudden and very nasty encounter with a bulkhead when the alien energy torpedo penetrated the ships shields – but because of the bustling orbital space of Eridani Three.

With the whole of the Fifth Fleet in attendance that orbital space was even more packed than normal. The assembled fleet ships were surrounded by a virtual armada of smaller craft including support tenders, supply transports and personnel transport ships – and all manner of drone craft. With the addition of squadrons of Jaguar-class fighters launched from the Fifth Fleet's five carriers forming a Combat Space Patrol it made the space around the warships seem chaotic and disorganised when it was in reality a carefully choreographed ballet, overseen by orbital control based on the starbase.

It was orbital control that provided him with the vector through the chaos of orbit to the _Akira_. A vector that his implant manifested before his eyes as a complex ringed corridor that he had to fly down. Despite its apparent complexity he knew it was relatively straight forward, he had flown worse in the earlier years of his career with the Federal Guard. At least here the warships were not engaged in combat manoeuvres and there were no energy bolts, missiles or beams to try and dodge.

Without speaking he concentrated on guiding the shuttle along the course and within a few moments the small shuttle was in the midst of the assembled warships. Sitting silent in space the warships looked intimidating, the sharp angles of their blade-like forms covered with armour and weapons arrays making them project a powerful aura of danger. It was quite easy to get the impression that even a destroyer would be more than capable of vaporising a small city just by looking at it the wrong way – which frighteningly wasn't far from the truth – to say nothing of what the cruisers and their bigger brothers the battlecruisers and battleships could do.

It was at that moment that the _Akira_ swung into view.

Being a Kyoto-class battleship she was truly a massive ship, close on two kilometres in length and just over a kilometre across. Her five metre thick armoured hull was covered with a massive arsenal of weapons from fusion blaster turrets, to various types of laser cannon turrets, fusion beam emitters and missile launch tubes – a lot of them. On top of that the Kyoto-class had very strong primary and secondary shield generators making their shields among the strongest ever built by Terran hands. _I wish we'd had one of these back at that planet, it would have been interesting to see how well those alien warships would have withstood a broadside from one of these behemoths,_ Aaron thought as docking instructions transmitted from the _Akira's_ landing signals officer were received by the shuttles flight computer and relayed from there into his implant.

"Stand by professor we'll be docking in a few moments," he called back to Professor Jackson.

"Thank you commander," Melinda replied glancing out the armoured viewports at the fleet of warships and especially the massive form of the _Akira_. The battleship projected power and strength as the shuttle drew closer so the warship seemed to fill space ahead of them, a vertical cliff face of brownish-grey armour, deck after deck of lights and the blank mussels of her weapons systems.

A slim line of white light appeared immediately ahead of them then began to grow as massive doors on the battleships flank opened, revealing the entrance to one of the hanger bays. Within seconds the doors were fully open allowing access to the interior of the bay and the shuttle jerked slightly as a tractor beam grabbed hold to guide them in the rest of the way. At the pilots console Aaron cut power to the engines and sat back to enjoy the remaining portion of the flight.

"Are you ready for this," he asked Melinda glancing back at her again.

"No," Melinda admitted. "I would rather curl up in bed and go to sleep. But given what's happened, what we've been through with the aliens my personnel feelings don't matter do they."

"Not really no," Aaron replied. "But believe me I've got some idea of how you feel, I'd rather be back on the _Railion_ organising the repairs than be here to be debriefed by Admiral Quinton."

"I've never met him what's he like," Melinda asked.

"I don't him that well," Aaron admitted. "Me and the rest of the crew of the _Railion_ have not been assigned to the Fifth Fleet for very long so I've had few meetings with the admiral. But the other commanders speak quite well of him, by all accounts while he is obsessed with the regs the admiral is not a bureaucratic tyrant – unlike some I've dealt with over the years."

"That's something at least," Melinda replied with a tired smile. In her career as a xenobiologist she'd had the misfortune of dealing with bureaucrats on a number of occasions and it was never a pleasant experience.

Aaron nodded in agreement and was about to open his mouth to reply when a soft shudder through the hull and deck of the shuttle as the tractor beam set them down in their assigned position on the landing grid of the hanger bay. "Here we go," he said powering down the shuttles systems and opening the door.

"Then let's get this over with," Melinda said standing up and leaving the shuttle. Aaron followed her and as he stepped out onto the deck of the _Akira_ he found a young lieutenant wearing the insignia of an admiral's adjutant waiting for them.

"Commander Larsen, Professor Jackson," the young man asked speaking with an accent that indicated he was from somewhere in the South American region of Terra itself. Aaron couldn't be sure from where but then geography had never been one of his strongest subjects back in school.

"Yes," Aaron acknowledged.

The lieutenant smiled. "I'm Lieutenant Styles," he replied. "Welcome aboard the _Akira_, if you'll both follow me I'll take you to the war room where Admiral Quinton is waiting for you."

"Very well lead on lieutenant," Aaron replied.

"This way," Styles said with a grin before leading the way off the hanger deck as the massive bay doors began to slide soundlessly closed. It was the normal procedure for instances when no craft were expected to be launched or received, even though atmospheric containment force fields would prevent decompression while the bay doors were open.

Silently Aaron Larsen and Melinda Jackson followed the lieutenant across the hanger bay, through a pair of heavily armoured bulkhead doors – designed to contain any hanger deck explosions or fires to that compartment and not spread into the rest of the ship – into one of the many wide, brightly lit corridors of the _Akira's_ interior. Styles led them to the closest transport tube station as like all battleships the _Akira_ was far too big to get around quickly on foot.

"Please get in," Styles said as they arrived at the tube station to find a maglev car already waiting for them, Styles having used his implants connection to the ships internal wireless data network to summon the car ahead of time.

"Thank you," Melinda replied as Styles stepped aside and kindly let her get in first, the two soldiers following along behind her. "Lieutenant do you have any idea how long this is going to take?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am," Styles answered as he used his implant to tell the cars control processor where they were going. The door slid closed and with a faint hum of magnetic power the car began moving, slipping out of the station into the complex network of transport tubes and ascent ramps that wound their way through the _Akira_ like veins and arteries did in a living being.

Melinda nodded in understanding; she hadn't expected Styles to know. There really was no way to know how long the meeting with Admiral Quinton was going to take. She hoped that it wouldn't take too long though as exhaustion was constantly pulling at her now. _Once this meeting is over I'll hopefully be able to find somewhere to curl up and sleep for a month,_ she thought. That thought alone gave her the strength to continue onwards. Surely the meeting with Admiral Quinton couldn't go as bad as the meeting with the aliens had.

Could it.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**TFS Akira**

**Epsilon Eridani**

The transport tube made quick time through the _Akira,_ taking barely two and a half minutes to travel several hundred metres forward from the hanger bays which on a Kyoto-class battleship were located towards the aft section, ascend nine decks and travel into the core of the citadel – a heavily armoured inner core that protected as many of the _Akira's_ vital systems as possible including the network of fusion and antimatter reactors that provided the giant warship with the power that was her lifeblood. With effortless grace the maglev car came to a stop, a faint shiver running through it as its doors mated with those of the tube station as like on a planet the transport tubes were kept in a vacuum to allow for faster transit. Half a second later both sets of doors slid open allowing the cars passengers to disembark.

"Professor, Commander come this way please," Lieutenant Styles said leading Melinda Jackson and Aaron Larsen out of the maglev car and the transport tube station into yet another of the _Akira's_ broad, brightly lit corridors. Unlike the corridors around the hanger bays which had been surprisingly quiet for all that the battleship was in orbit of Epsilon Eridani these corridors were packed with crew moving to and from their duty stations. Here in the citadel there were a great many duty stations that always had to be manned – from those that controlled or monitored the energies of the _Akira's_ mighty power plants, to stations that helped with navigating the massive battleship and her immense concentration of weaponry from A to B.

"I'm sorry things are a bit chaotic at the moment," Styles apologised as he led them through the human traffic. "We're replacing some spent antimatter fuel rods and taking on some more fusion fuel as well so everyone is a little busy right now."

"Its okay lieutenant we understand," Aaron Larsen replied being intimately familiar with such things himself. Refilling deuterium storage tanks and changing antimatter fuel rods was always a complex and time consuming endeavour – especially the latter. "How many fuel rods are you taking on or replacing?"

"Close on two thousand, sir," Styles replied. Aaron whistled softly knowing that was going to keep the _Akira's_ engineering crews – especially those specialists trained to handle antimatter even when it was contained inside the complex technological device that was an antimatter fuel rod – busy for hours. For safety reasons fresh antimatter fuel rods were only shipped in batches of a hundred it would take hours to replace all the used fuel rods with fresh ones and for the spent ones to be taken either for refilling or recycling depending on a) the rods service life and b) depending on a comprehensive and in depth component safety check – if even one component was showing signs of wearing out the rod would be sent to be recycled, given its volatile nature no chances were ever taken handling antimatter – at least not by anyone with an ounce of common sense.

"That's going to take awhile," he said.

"Yes sir they've already been at it for two hours," Styles replied before leading them down a side corridor away from the thronging main corridor.

At the end of the side corridor was a large set of armoured doors. Standing sentry on either side of the door were two figures cocooned from head to toe in a full suite of combat armour and armed with pulse rifles. It was impossible to see who was inside the armour as like the helmet of a light battle uniform the helmet of combat armour was completely featureless the marine wearing the armour seeing the world through a combination of a heads up display inside the helmet and direct feed into his or her brain via their implant. Standing as silent as statues the two armoured soldiers were very intimidating – even more so when Aaron noticed the symbol on their armour. A bird of prey on a starry background and grasping a lightning bolt in its talons, it was the symbol of the Black Falcons Special Forces.

"This way," Styles said leading Aaron and Melinda up to the door and placing his hand on a touch panel beside the door. For a moment the panel glowed as its built in sensors compared a variety of biometric readings including bioelectric signature and DNA readings on top of Styles handprint to information stored in the ships security database – determining if he was authorised to access the room beyond. Then the panel ceased glowing and the thick trinium-based alloy doors slid open obediently.

Keeping his hand on the panel Styles gestured for Aaron and Melinda to go through with his free hand. Obediently they did so and found themselves in the _Akira's_ Combat Information Centre.

It was a huge circular room. Arranged in a circle around the edge of the room were a number of consoles that all faced inwards towards the core of the room, where there was a second set of consoles, though these were smaller. Again they faced in towards the core of the room where a single large hexagonal table stood. It looked unremarkable but when activated the table would create a three dimensional holographic image of the battlefield allowing the crew who manned CIC in such situations to help the admiral in command of the fleet coordinate operations and decide on which tactics to employ.

"This way please," Styles said coming in behind them then moving to the front. Without waiting for a response the aide led them around the outer perimeter of the room to another set of doors that neither of them had noticed. Unlike the previous doors this set did not require Styles to operate a security scanner – instead they slid open at their approach and they found themselves in the war room.

The war room was much smaller than the CIC though it had the same circular design – minus the rings of consoles. The only thing in the room was a triangular table with two chairs on each of its sides – facing small control panels. Sitting in one of the chairs was Admiral Quinton looking formidable in his white and gold flag admiral's uniform, another aide sat next to him. But it was who was sitting in the opposite chair on the other side of the table that drew attention. Sitting there was a tall, brown haired, very well built man in a uniform that was very different to the normal navy blue and gold trim uniform most Federal Guard officers wore. Instead this mans uniform was the black and grey uniform of SOID – the Special Operations and Intelligence Directorate – the section of the Federal Guard responsible for all intelligence and special ops, it was they who controlled the Black Falcon units. It was very rare for SOID officers – like the fleet of Phantom-class stealth cruisers SOID operated– to be seen though given what had happened the officer's presence here was understandable.

"Ah Commander Larsen, Professor Jackson welcome," Admiral Quinton said smiling warmly but not getting up from his seat. "I'm glad you made it back here in one piece."

"Not all of us did sir," Aaron replied with a grimace thinking of the three of the four destroyers that had accompanied the _Railion_ on her rescue mission only to be destroyed by the unknown aliens, two in direct combat – albeit one of them by kamikaze rams by a swarm of enemy fighters and bombers – the third by a treacherous betrayal after showing mercy to their foes. And of Ambassador Trainer and the crew of the diplomatic ship _Crystal Dove_ who'd been murdered in cold blood when they refused to bow down to some weird voiced human-looking alien who claimed to be the ancient Greek goddess Amphitrite.

"Yes we've reviewed the records you transmitted on ahead," the unidentified SOID officer replied. "Under the circumstances you did as well as you could, commander. The deaths of Ambassador Trainer and all those on the _Crystal Dove,_ _Juno, San Diego _and _McKenzie_ could not have been prevented with the information that you had at the time."

"None of us had or still really has any clue about what we were dealing with, commander," Quinton added. "Though one thing is certain what happened at that planet will not be the last time we encounter these aliens whoever or whatever they are."

"Maybe," Aaron admitted still feeling a profound feeling of guilt and responsibility for the 2450 people who'd died on those ships or on the _Railion_ herself from their injuries.

"I wish I knew why those aliens attacked us the way they did," Melinda said. "We were no threat to them, Frank tried to talk to them but…" her voice trailed off as tears welled in her eyes. She was going to miss Frank Laughan, Marco Patrice and all the others that the alien soldiers had murdered in cold blood. "Sorry."

"It's alright, professor," Quinton replied. "I'm sorry I know this is hard on you but we need to know exactly what happened on the surface of that planet, you and the survivors of your team are the only ones who know that."

Melinda nodded reluctantly and closed her eyes for a moment. Accessing her implants medicinal command system she loaded a mild tranquiliser program, immediately the complex network of nanotech circuitry that was her implant sent out a barrage of signals both electrical and chemical into her brain and nervous system. Carefully manipulating her emotions and body chemistry so what felt like a cool, soothing balm spread over her body enabling her to speak about what had happened without getting to emotional.

"I'll start at the very beginning, from when we came out of hyperspace if you don't mind admiral," she said opening her eyes again.

"That's fine," the unmanned SOID officer replied.

"I'm sorry you are," Melinda asked.

"It's me who should be sorry professor, I should have introduced myself when you came in," the officer replied looking apologetic. "I'm Commander Alan Lorne of the _Cheyenne_."

"Apology accepted, commander," Melinda relied. "Okay where was I… oh yes."

As calmly as she could Melinda began explaining everything that had happened to her and her team from the moment the _Charles Darwin_ emerged from hyperspace. "When we ran our initial scans of the planet we detected the presence of a primitive settlement inhabited by Humans on the planet," Melinda explained. "We were somewhat confused as the probe that had scanned the system a few months earlier showed no such settlement; we initially thought that they were a lost colony that had somehow evaded our earlier probes detection. So we scanned for any signs of an old crash site or any sign of technology.

"We didn't find anything," Melinda continued. "The only sign of technology that we found was a very weak energy emission from a structure on the planet located some distance from the settlement. After some consideration Commander Drake and myself agreed that we should continue with our mission but we decided that we would also try to figure out just where the settlement came from and how it eluded our probes sensors. So my team and I boarded one of our shuttles and headed down.

"On the way down we got a good look at the unknown structure and what we found was something that is not only thousands of light years from Terra but thousands of years from the ancient culture that built it."

"An Egyptian pyramid," Commander Lorne said recalling what he'd read of Commander Drake's debriefing after the _Charles Darwin_ limped back to base.

"Correct, however the pyramid was not made entirely of stone. Our sensors confirmed that the stonework was being reinforced by panels of refined trinium that seemed to make up eighty percent of the pyramid's outer wall and core supports," Melinda replied. "As you can imagine seeing an Egyptian-style pyramid on a planet thousands of light years and thousands of years from the time of the First Dynasty of Ancient Egypt was something of a surprise.

"We proceeded to complete our landing and we were walking through the forest towards the village and the pyramid when we were contacted by Colonel Swain telling us that an unknown ship was on hyperspace approach. With the prospect of first contact with another spacefaring after all these centuries we were all very excited. Some of us wanted to go back up to the _Charles Darwin_ to be there when contact was established. But we decided to stay on the planet and continue with our part of the mission."

"I'd like to interrupt you a moment there professor," Commander Lorne said. "Why did you decide to stay on the planet?"

"We wouldn't have made orbit in time commander," Melinda replied simply. "The alien ship was only four minutes out, the subspace sensors on a survey ship don't quite have the range that those on warships do, we just don't have the power generation capacity. We never have made it back to the shuttle in time, let alone gotten into orbit.

"It was within moments of us having the conversation with Colonel Swain that we were attacked. Peter, I mean Lieutenant Franklin told us to seek cover as he heard someone coming. We had just done so when the alien soldiers appeared. Frank, that's Doctor Laughan tried to open a dialogue and they…" Melinda's voice trailed off tears welling in her eyes despite the best efforts of her implants tranquiliser program.

"I'm sorry," she said taking a few deep breaths to get herself back under control and allow her implant to dampen down the worst of the emotional reaction.

"It's alright professor, take your time," Admiral Quinton said sympathetically seeing how hard it was for the xenobiologist to talk about what had happened to her and her team. It was understandable as survey teams spent so long together that they formed very strong bonds, so they became more like family than work colleagues.

"Thank you," Melinda replied appreciating the courtesy she was being offered. She knew that it was important that she recount everything that had happened down on that planet but that didn't mean it was easy. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

"As I was saying Frank tried to talk to the aliens," she continued at last. "And they just, just shot him in cold blood. Then they tried to kill the rest of us but they didn't count on us firing back, we defeated them and started falling back towards the shuttle. We never got there the shuttle lifted off without us but was shot down by some fighters if we'd boarded it we would have been killed. We received a message that the _Charles Darwin _was under attack and being forced to withdraw so Lieutenant Franklin proposed that we find somewhere to shelter. We started heading for some caves in the mountains that our sensors had detected.

"The aliens kept pursuing us they seemed to be determined to capture or kill us, why I don't know. We barely got a couple of minutes to rest or make forward progress between attacks. After awhile there just came this huge explosion behind us, I don't know what caused it but it knocked us flying."

"I know," Aaron Larsen said speaking up for the first time. "At the end of our first battle with the aliens in orbit their battlecruiser-analogue was severely damaged, on fire with shields failing. Rather than stay and certainly be destroyed they retreated to hyperspace but before they did so they fired three blasts from one of their ventral pulse weapon turrets at the surface. My guess is they knew they were defeated so they tried to kill you and the rest of your team out of spite. These aliens – though they appear Human on the surface – they seem to be very brutal and vindictive with no concept of the rules of war as we understand them."

"They nearly succeeded, Marco died after that explosion knocked us flying and Peter was severely injured. Do we know what's happening with Peter yet?" Melinda asked.

"Lieutenant Franklin has been transferred to the planet," Admiral Quinton replied. "He's in the cyber-organics department of Atherton General getting a prosthetic limb fitted as we speak. I spoke to the doctors while we were waiting for you and Commander Larsen to arrive professor, the surgery is going well and he will make a full recovery."

"I'd like to go and see him," Melinda said.

"I anticipated that and transport has been arranged for you along with suitable accommodation at the Federal Guard facility outside Atherton."

A tired smile appeared on Melinda's face. "Thank you," she said. "If that's all gentlemen I would really like to go, I haven't slept in what feels like a week."

"I have no questions," Quinton replied before glancing across at Commander Lorne, "commander?"

"I have no questions at the moment professor," Lorne replied offering Melinda a warm smile, he could see that she was only staying awake through sheer willpower and with a little bit of implant assistance. "I may wish to speak with you again later but I won't be so insensitive as to keep you here. You can go if you wish I can always contact you on the comm or shuttle down to Atherton if we need to speak again."

"Lieutenant Sterns will take you to a shuttle that will convey you to the planet side facility, professor," Quinton added gesturing to the same aide that had escorted Melinda Jackson and Aaron Larsen from the hanger bays to here.

"This way please, professor," Sterns said stepping forward.

Melinda nodded and carefully got to her feet while telling her implant to disengage the tranquiliser program. Now that her part of the debriefing session was over she wouldn't need it anymore, as it was having had it on for this long was going to result in her getting one hell of a headache. Thankfully as always the best cure for that would be what she needed anyway, which was to curl up in a bed somewhere and go to sleep.

Nodding politely to the assembled figures she let Lieutenant Sterns lead her out of the war room, across the unmanned CIC and into the wide corridors of the _Akira_ heading back towards the great warships cavernous hanger bays. Where she assumed a shuttle would be waiting to take her down to the Federal Guard ground base a few miles outside the planetary capital Atherton.

* * *

Commander Aaron Larsen was deep in thought as he watched Lieutenant Sterns and Melinda Jackson leave the room, exhaustion plane to see in her posture as she moved. He wasn't particularly surprised to see that, he'd noticed how tired she was on the flight through hyperspace back here. What he hadn't realised was just how things had actually gone down on that planet. Melinda and the survivors of her team had gone through an experience with the human-looking aliens that he could only describe as hellish, especially the relentless chase through the subtropical forest that seemed to have dominated large areas of the planet in question. _But then we've all been through a rough time with the aliens,_ he thought, _I just wish I knew why they were so aggressive towards us and why that alien woman who talked to Ambassador Trainer before destroying the _Crystal Dove_ wanted us to bow down to her like she was some kind of goddess. The more we learn about these aliens the less sense they seem to make._

"You look deep in thought, commander," Commander Lorne pointed studying the unusually tall – for someone from his world – Centauran commander carefully.

"I was just thinking about the aliens," Aaron replied. "The more we learn about them the less sense they seem to make. I don't understand why they were so aggressive and why that alien commander seemed to want us to bow down before her like she was some sort of goddess."

"We have the alien bomber and the one crewmember who survived," Lorne said. "Hopefully we will start getting some answers on just who our new adversaries are soon enough."

"Do you really think they're going to be long term adversaries?" Quinton asked, hoping that would not be the case, though so far it looked to be a forlorn hope given the aggressive, outright murderous behaviour so far demonstrated by the unknown aliens.

"I don't see how they can be anything else," Lorne replied. "From what we know so far the aliens are technologically advanced and highly aggressive, with what seems like an unhealthy dose of xenophobia thrown in for good measure. In standing up to them as we have we have shown them that we are a threat. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they come looking for us."

"That's not a pleasant thought," Quinton said.

"No it isn't," Aaron agreed. "Especially as we are not really ready for large scale interstellar war, no thanks to the last few presidential administrations. We need more heavy ships like cruisers, battlecruisers and battleships, one on one our destroyers are no match for the alien capital ships."

"Hopefully Fleet Admiral Kermanova will be able to convince the president and the senate of that fact at least enough to allow the recommissioning of some of the newer mothballed ships," Quinton answered. "But we have wandered away from the issue at hand."

"Indeed," Commander Lorne agreed. "Commander Larsen they we have seen the logs you transmitted to us after leaving orbit of the planet we would like to here in your own words what happened. We would also like to know why you felt that it was necessary to deploy strategic weaponry."

Aaron nodded having known that his turn to explain what had happened was going to come. And that the issue of him authorising the use of antimatter weapons was bound to come up, especially given how they were regarded as weapons of mass destruction whose power made fusion bombs pale into insignificance. After all it was antimatter warheads more than fusion warheads that had burned the surface of two whole planets to glass – claiming hundreds of millions of Terran lives – during the A.I War. After taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly he as calmly as he could began to explain everything that had transpired just before and during both battles with the alien warships.

* * *

**Tok'ra Base**

**Ta'kol System, Sometime Later**

Anise smiled as she finished the flight checks on the modified Tel'tac that she and Selmak would be taking as they endeavoured to find out more information about the race of Humans they'd observed clashing with Poseidon's forces over his new naquada mining world of Sakana. Humans who were obviously very technologically advanced and capable, while being a complete and total mystery; nothing like the technology the new Humans – who she suspected to be from the now near mythical world of Tau'ri – possessed had ever been seen by the Tok'ra before.

From a purely scientific point of view Anise would have to confess to being absolutely fascinated by the new Humans. The fact that there technology seemed to have developed in a non-standard way – as evidenced by the complete and total lack of naquada or naquada-based alloys present on or used in the construction of their powerful warships, and the use of antimatter in their weapons, and possibly to generate the enormous amounts of power a starship needed to function – was especially interesting. And from a strategic point of view the power the newcomers obviously commanded would make them strong allies for the Tok'ra in the seemingly never ending war to rid this galaxy of the evils of the Goa'uld.

"_This is really quite exciting, isn't it,"_ her host said silently to her. A burst of eagerness accompanying the thoughts of the young woman who'd become her newest host two of her worlds years ago.

"_**Indeed it is, Kaira,"**_ Anise agreed as she began prepping both the inertialess sublight engines and the hyperdrive for use so they could take off the moment Selmak arrived – having been delayed a bit longer by some issue with the council. _**"These new Humans are obviously technologically quite advanced and very powerful. They would be a great ally in the battle with the Goa'uld, especially as Poseidon has already made an enemy of them. Hopefully we will get a chance to talk to them and convince them to join our cause."**_

"_If the council agrees, you know what they can be like."_

"_**True, true,"**_Anise agreed feeling a familiar irritation grip her, the politics and often secretive ways of the Tok'ra High Council never ceased to irritate her. Especially when it came to dealing with the handful of advanced Human other alien groups scattered around the galaxy, the secretive nature of the council made working with others _difficult_ at times. She like a number of her colleagues found politics tiresome and a distraction from the goal of the Tok'ra, the goal they had been striving for ever since the great Queen Egeria spawned the first generation of Tok'ra. The elimination of the Goa'uld System Lords and all who believed like them.

"_Do you really believe these newcomers could be from the first world, Anise,"_ Kaira asked.

"_**It is very possible Tau'ri has been lost for so long that it is conceivable that these newcomers could be the distant descendants of those who forced Ra and the System Lords off that world all those millennia ago,"**_ Anise answered as the console gave a soft crystalline sounding chime as both the sublight engines and the hyperdrive completed their pre-flight power up sequence. _Just need to wait for Selmak now,_ she thought.

"_Considering what Persus said during the meeting earlier I don't think the council will keep Selmak that long, Anise."_

Anise smiled slightly and was about to respond to her hosts comment she heard the sound of the airlock cycling. Glancing over towards the chamber her smile widened when she saw Selmak boarding the ship.

"**I've completed all pre-launch checks and have powered up both sublight and hyperdrive engines,"** she told him. **"What did the council want?"**

"**Nothing that concerns this mission, Anise,"** Selmak replied. **"It was just an intelligence briefing on the latest events on the opposite side of Goa'uld territory. It appears our gambit with Sokar's shipyards in the Lak'na'tor System has been successful, Anubis and Sokar are once more openly fighting each other."**

"**That is good news, that will ensure the current balance of power holds for awhile longer,"** Anise replied. **"I still find it hard to accept that we have to covertly help the System Lords against those two."**

"**There is no choice at the moment,"** Selmak reminded her. **"The last thing we need is for either of those two demons to become dominant over the System Lords and possibly depose Ra as Supreme System Lord. The new battle we've instigated should tie up a large chunk of their respective fleets for sometime to come."**

"**I know. It's just hard to accept, hopefully these new Humans – if we can successfully make contact with them will be able to help us deal with them and the System Lords once and for all."**

"**We shall see,"** Selmak replied as he slid into the co-pilots seat with an easy grace that belied the apparent age of his current host. **"In the meantime we have a mission to carry out so we had best get started. Have you mapped out a search grid?"**

"**I have. Using Sakana as a starting point I have determined a search pattern that will enable us to cover a significant portion of the surrounding sectors heading in the general direction of where we believe Tau'ri to be located from the old records in a reasonable period of time."**

"**Excellent. If as we suspect the newcomers are Tau'ri then we stand a reasonable chance of encountering some of their vessels in any of the systems contained in those sectors."**

"**Precisely, we have sufficient supplies on board this craft. This task could take sometime."**

Selmak nodded his or rather his hosts head in agreement. He was fully aware how vast the distances were that they were going to have to cover, especially as if records were correct many of the systems in those sectors were barren and worthless. At least as far as the Goa'uld were concerned as while there were useable minerals present like naquada and trinium present it was hard to get at easily. Especially where it was present in asteroid form – mining asteroids was something far too technical for the Goa'uld to do with slave labour as it would have required far too much of an investment in time and technological resources. Something the System Lords were loathed to do as being seen to be dependant on technology would in their eyes tarnish there image as all knowing, all powerful gods in the eyes of both the Jaffa and their Human slaves.

"**Then we had better get started,"** he said at last. **"Take us up, Anise. As soon as we are clear of the atmosphere jump into hyperspace for Sakana."**

Anise nodded and tapped a few of the control crystals on the console in front of her before putting Kaira's hands on the glowing orange ball-like structure that was the main control interface. With a combination of mental command and careful movements of her fingers Anise began the Tel'tac's takeoff sequence.

* * *

Viewed from outside the Tel'tac appeared as a squat, partially rounded pyramid of a dull grey metal the gleamed in the bright light of the Ta'kol systems F-type star. Had anyone been nearby they would have heard a faint, increasing humming sound coming from the – to Human eyes – bizarrely shaped craft a moment before a plume of dust began to appear from around its base as the craft began lifting into the air. Powerful anti-gravity fields lifted the multi-ton craft off the sandy soil of the planets surface kicking up a thick plume of dust that only diminished as the craft moved further up into the air.

Slowly the stubby nose of the modified cargo ship came up and the inertialess propulsion system that was the main sublight drive activated. The Tel'tac leapt forward like a great cat pouncing on unsuspecting prey, in less than half a second a sonic boom rumbled through the atmosphere as the craft broke through the sound barrier on its flight towards the great void of space that was its natural environment. The rate of ascent increased rapidly as power in the engines built up to full, repelling Ta'kol's gravity field.

After barely sixty seconds of ascent the Tel'tac shook free of the planets gravity altogether and streaked up out of the atmosphere before abruptly slowing down. Power in the drive field slowed as the energy produced by the ships naquada power plant was redirected from the sublight engines into the hyperdrive engine. A powerful, shaped subspace field appeared around the craft, applying tremendous pressure to the fabric of the space-time continuum directly ahead of the craft. The folds of space-time parted and the aquamarine vortex of a hyperspace window burst into existence with a silent roar of power.

For half a second the Tel'tac hovered on the edge of the swirling maelstrom, giving a good impression of a predator whose muscles were tensing ready for a pounce, then it surged forward and disappeared into the heart of the vortex, vanishing with a faint flash of Cherenkov radiation. No longer being held open by the power of the hyperdrives subspace field the hyperspace window folded closed and vanished as if it had never been present at all. The ship that had generated it was long gone from the Ta'kol system, streaking across the galaxy at speeds well in advance of the speed of light.

The Tok'ra mission to find the Terran Federation had begun.

* * *

**Federal Guard Shuttlecraft**

**Epsilon Eridani III, That Same Time**

Professor Melinda Jackson smiled as the Kite-class shuttlecraft finally finished vibrating from the stress and turbulence of entering Epsilon Eridani III's thick atmosphere. Unable to use her implant in the shuttle as there was no internal wireless data network she was relegated to watching the descent through the thick permaglass windows. Not that she minded. She was experienced enough with shuttle flights to know that the shuttle was only a few minutes from landing at the Federal Guard groundside facility, soon she would finally be able to get some much needed rest.

The shuttle was approaching Atherton – the capital city of Epsilon Eridani III – from the west, coming in off the Tamarind Ocean that was the largest of the colonies four major oceans. From her vantage point in one of the shuttle passenger seats Melinda could see the softly undulating ocean and in the distance the line of rugged snow capped mountains that marked the western shore of northwest continent. Though the pilot had cut speed considerably now Melinda knew they were still travelling at just over the speed of sound as they made there way towards the network of channels, bays and fjords that lined the coast.

"Lieutenant how long until we land," she called forward to the pilot.

"About ten more minutes, ma'am," the young officer called back. "I have to drop to subsonic speeds as we approach the coast. The people living on the coast don't like there peace getting shattered by sonic booms apparently."

Melinda nodded and turned her attention to the viewport again as the shuttle slowed still further, though only the shadow of the shuttle moving across the surface of the ocean showed that thanks to the inertial dampeners. She couldn't blame those Epsilonians living in the few towns and villages that there were along the coast for not liking sonic booms disturbing their tranquil lives. Of all the Terra-type worlds in the Federation Epsilon Eridani III was certainly one of the most beautiful as well as being home to some of the largest trinium deposits ever found.

She watched silently admiring the world as over the next few minutes the shuttle moved into one of the wide, deep fjords that extended many miles inland in a network of water ways that could be confusing to someone who wasn't used to them. For a few moments all Melinda saw was the water of the Tamarind, the white caps of breaking waves and the vegetation encrusted sides of the fjord that itself had to be seventeen kilometres across. Smaller fjords branched off here and there until finally Atherton came into view.

The city stood proudly on a high spit of land that jutted out into the fjord where it split into two, heading off northwest and northeast in a Y pattern. Like many modern Terran cities Atherton had been meticulously planned and laid out in a very precise pattern of concentric circles radiating out from a plaza like central core. Most of the city was quite suburban with houses and apartment complexes surrounded by gardens and wide tree lined streets boulevards. It was only towards the core of the city that there were any buildings taller than four stories, and even the few towers were small rarely ascending beyond sixty stories. Tiny in comparison to some of the kilometre tall city towers found on some of the more densely inhabited worlds like Alpha Centauri IV, Beta Durani II and Terra herself.

Melinda was treated to a bird's eye view of the city and the small dark figures of its people as they went about their daily lives unbothered by the passage of the shuttle over their heads. Just seeing it and knowing what was going on below was enough to make her relax still further and truly know that she was safe now. The aliens couldn't harm her here, not without first breaking through the assembled martial might of the Fifth Fleet and this planets formidable planetary defence network; which was something that would require a major assault with hundreds of warships, an assault that the aliens – whoever or whatever they were – might not be able to mount very easily.

Then the shuttle was passed Atherton, with nothing below but trees and grassland crossed here and there by roads dotted with the fast moving specs of cars powered by high capacity electric engines and a series of the elevated tracks of the maglev network that formed a part of the planets public transportation system. After a few moments the shuttle veered off to the right and the military base came into view.

From experience Melinda could tell it followed a pretty standard layout for Federal Guard facilities. The central core of the base was made up of a hexagonal tower that had a platform-like look to it as the tower was split into two, with the top third of the tower being smaller than the rest. Small domes dotted the platform and the top of the tower, domes that she knew would conceal everything from subspace comm antenna to shield emitters and defensive lasers. Spreading out from the core tower were six smaller rectangular structures that contained offices and barracks for those personnel stationed on the base. Carefully manicured gardens stretched between four of the buildings, between the other two were open courtyards on which she could see the little black figures of men and women going through drills. Beyond the core buildings the base was given over to runways, a few squat rectangular hangers and an obstacle course. Finally surrounding the whole facility was a perimeter fence made up of slim pylons with glowing blue force bars between them and a theatre shield that was visible only as a very slight distortion in the atmosphere, a distortion that formed a protective dome shape over the base.

The shuttle came to a halt over the base and began descending, after a moment a bluish purple flash lit the interior of the craft as they passed through the security shield, the frequency of the shuttles own shield being adjusted to match the frequency of the facilities dome – allowing them to pass through without base personnel having to lower a section of their shield. Melinda shook her head slightly – she never understood why Federal Guard facilities like this one always had their shields up, surely it was a waste of power when it was highly unlikely that anyone would strike at the base. There was no secessionist movement on Epsilon Eridani to her knowledge who would attack the base if they could. Unlike on some Terran worlds where the extremists of the successionist movements refused to give up the ideology that had spawned the Colonial Independence Wars of the early twenty third century, wars that ultimately led to the formation of the Terran Federation.

The shuttle set down with a slight bump, startling Melinda out of her thoughts. _Someone needs to look at the dampeners on the landing skids,_ she thought getting up from her seat just as the pilot up front opened the rear hatch. Air that was pleasantly cool and impregnated with the scents of local plants flooded into the shuttle replacing the odourless, recycled air that everyone had to breath on starships and space stations. Melinda took a few deep breaths and let them out slowly, luxuriating in the clean, fresh air that filled her lungs even as she made her way to the ramp extending down from the rear hatch.

A young woman in a lieutenant's uniform was waiting for her at the bottom of the ramp. Melinda offered a tired smile as she descended to the sun soaked carbocrete surface of the landing grid. "Professor Jackson," the younger woman asked in a Cetean accented voice.

"Yes," Melinda replied as she stepped out of the shade of the shuttle and felt the warmth of the systems K2 type star on her.

The lieutenant smiled. "Welcome to Atherton Base professor," she said. "I'm Lieutenant Elizabeth Brecker; I'll be your liaison during your stay here."

"Thank you, lieutenant," Melinda answered.

"Admiral Quinton informed us that you are somewhat fatigued from your experience," Brecker added. "If you'll follow me quest quarters have been prepared for you in the officer's barracks."

Melinda smiled slightly, tiredly, at the prospect of at last getting some rest. "Lead on then, lieutenant," she said. "Right now I'm so tired I could sleep for a month."

Brecker laughed slightly. "I know that feeling," she replied as she started to lead the way across the carbocrete landing grid towards the buildings in the core of the base. "I think we've all been that kind of tired at one point or another. I know I was after my academy finals exam."

Melinda chuckled as she followed the younger woman she remembered that kind of thing from her own time in education. Despite having a high IQ and a near eidetic memory – even without implant assistance – late night study and revision sessions had left her with the kind of tiredness the lieutenant was referring to. Though her current exhaustion was very different in that it was more than a physical exhaustion it was mental and emotional as well. What she'd been through in the last day or so was hell, pure and simple, though she doubted that the full effects of the experience with the aliens would hit her for sometime yet. Sighing softly to herself she continued to follow the lieutenant across the landing grid to the bases main complex.

* * *

**Five Minutes Later**

Melinda looked carefully around the guest quarters that Lieutenant Brecker had led her to. They were very similar to her quarters on the _Charles Darwin_, though much more spacious and the magnolia painted walls were made of carbocrete not the trinium-based polymer alloy used to build the internal walls of most starships. The quarters were divided up into three distinctly different sections, where she was standing right now was the main living area. Soft, tasteful furniture was located around the room, positioned in such a way that that it made the maximum use of the available space. Off to the right sliding frosted glass doors led to the sleeping area, with the bathroom entrance down the other side of the main room.

Without hesitation she headed into the bedroom area, as with the main living area it was being flooded with bright sunshine. Moving over to the large, comfortable looking bed she pressed a key on a small control panel set into the top of the bedside table. Immediately the 'smart' permaglass windows went opaque, plunging the room into darkness – but only for half a second before the overhead lights automatically came on.

Paying them no mind, Melinda slipped out of her shoes and clothing before slipping into bed pulling the soft silk-like material sheet over her tired body. Automatically she felt the mattress under her begin to warm to her body temperature as well as adjusting itself to provide the optimal amount of comfort and support while she slept. Another quick command to the panel on the bedside table extinguished the lights – plunging the room once more into darkness. Warm and comfortable in the bed Melinda's eyes slowly began to drift closed until within mere seconds she was fast asleep, her consciousness completely deserting her exhausted body and slipping into the mists of dreams.

* * *

**War Room**

**TFS Akira, A Few Minutes Later**

Commander Alan Lorne leaned back in his seat with a thoughtful frown on his face, considering carefully everything that he and Admiral Quinton had just been told about Commander Larsen's two battles with the alien forces. For the better part of an hour they'd quizzed the Centauran commander on what had happened in that system, breaking down the events that had taken place and the tactics that had been used in the fierce exchanges of fire, exchanges that had ultimately led to Commander Larsen authorising the use of antimatter weapons.

All in all from what he'd heard Alan was concerned, very concerned. The aliens whoever or whatever they actually were, were ruthless and brutal in the extreme, they also seemed to care little for their own lives – as evidenced by both the kamikaze attack that destroyed the _Juno_ and the sending twelve bombers against three fully armed warships as a suicidal distraction. While technologically they and the aliens didn't seem to be that far apart – indeed from what he'd seen and heard Alan suspected that in some areas the Federation was more technologically advanced than the aliens – the aliens behaviour, particularly their commanders delusions of godhood pointed to the most dangerous of enemies; those who were fanatics and wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who disagreed with them.

That did not bode well for future contacts with the aliens, and he was sure there would be future contacts. He was fully aware that mounting population and economic pressures meant that the Federation needed to expand, needed to move into new systems. While there was enough trinium in their existing systems to continue to sustain their civilisation for two or three centuries at their current projected growth rate more needed to be found. Along with more planets to house the ever increasing Terran population – especially from the core worlds, the only place they could possibly expand to was inwards towards the galactic core along the Orion Arm; which meant that if the aliens were the power he suspected them to be then more clashes between their forces and the Federal Guard were inevitable.

"Well," Admiral Quinton asked at last, addressing Alan. "What do you think commander?"

"To be honest admiral I am concerned," Alan admitted. "Everything I've heard only makes me more and more concerned for the future of our people, especially with regards to these aliens. We all know that we need to seriously expand our territory for the first time since the end of the A.I War otherwise within the next two centuries we will begin running out of food, trinium and places to live. That need to expand means that sooner or later we're going to run into the aliens again."

"Its likely to happen sooner rather than later," Aaron Larsen said speaking up, like Commander Lorne he was fully aware of the growing economic and population pressures in the Federation – many of the core worlds like his own homeworld already had population densities in the hundreds of millions, and that population was increasing at a geometric rate with every new generation – especially as modern medicine had produced drugs and treatments that had expanded the human lifespan significantly.

"The battle we fought and won has probably shown the aliens that we are a potential threat to them," he continued. "If they have any strategic sense at all they will want information on the nature of that potential threat which means they will be coming, they will be looking for us. Confrontation and possibly war between us and the aliens may well be inevitable. That is not a pleasant thought."

"No it isn't," Alan agreed. "But it is the only conclusion that we can safely draw and I will be putting that in my reports to Admiral Prescott and Fleet Admiral Kermanova. That and the recommendation that we need to find out more about these aliens as a matter of urgency as the biggest enemy is the one you do not know."

"Unfortunately it's not the top brass in High Command that need convincing of the threat," Quinton reminded them both. "Admiral Kermanova has wanted to increase the ratio of heavy units in the fleet for years – but the politicians have shot her down every time. The ones who will really need convincing of the danger before us are President Denison and the rest of the cabinet."

"There are ways to convince them," Alan pointed out. "Especially as the media already know something is up, the fact that the whole Fifth Fleet is in orbit all at once has already alerted them to something going on. We've already been buzzed a few times by news service drones, its only a matter of time before one of them spots the damage to the _Railion_ and tips off noisy reporters that something really serious has happened."

Admiral Quinton made a face as Alan spoke. As commander of the Fifth Fleet he regularly had to deal with the press and knew that reporters were universally a group who couldn't resist sticking their noses into things that didn't concern them. As the SOID officer had said the fact that the whole Fifth Fleet was arrayed in orbit of Epsilon Eridani III instead of being spread throughout the sector and beyond had already tipped them off that something was going down. When they found out about the damage to the _Railion_ the effect would be like blood in the water and send the media into a feeding frenzy that would do the piranha of Terra's Amazon region proud.

"Reporters there worse than the aliens," he said. "At least with the aliens we can blast them back. No such luck with reporters." As he spoke the two commanders chuckled. "Anyway we should send our reports along to High Command. The ball will be firmly in their court then."

"Yes sir," both officers responded in agreement before blushing slightly as they realised they had spoken at the same time.

"In the meantime gentlemen if that is all then we should attend to our separate duties," Quinton continued. "Commander Larsen I am sure you are anxious to get back to your ship."

"Yes sir," Aaron acknowledged. "And not just to oversee the repairs, no offence to you gentlemen but I hate 'normal' grav."

"None taken," Alan answered with an inward smile at the typical Centauran attitude to what the bulk of the Terran race considered to be normal gravity. With their bodies engineered for the high gravity of Alpha Centauri IV it was understandable that normal gravity played hell with them if they were exposed to it for too long. While Centaurans were physically very strong in normal gravity over the short to medium term – indeed even with the augmentations Alan like all SOID officers had he would be in for a tough fight with a Centauran if they got into a bar room brawl – over the long term they would begin to suffer negative effects with regards to bone and muscle mass degeneration.

"Commander Lorne do you have anything else you wish to add before this meeting ends," Quinton asked.

"No sir."

"Then this meeting in adjourned," Quinton said. "You are both free to return to your ships and work on your reports. Inform me when they are ready for transmission to Terra."

"Yes sir," Aaron replied.

"Yes sir," Alan echoed half a second later.

"Dismissed then gentlemen," Quinton said. Both junior officers immediately got to there fleet and offered salutes to their superior officer, which Quinton returned, before leaving the war room to make the journey back to their respective ships.

Alone in the war room – save for his aides – Quinton leaned back in his chair in thoughtful silence. Like Commander Lorne what he had heard in this debriefing session – and what he'd seen on the recordings transmitted to them before the _Railion _and _Achilles_ emerged from hyperspace – concerned him deeply. Having forged a career defending the Federation and its people from their enemies – usually the separatist insurrectionists who never seemed to be able to get their head around the fact that all planets in the Federation had a equal say in how things were run – he had learned to recognise a dangerous enemy when he saw one. And these aliens seemed to be very dangerous indeed. But what worried him more was the fact that the Federal Guard wasn't ready to deal with them, not really. They needed more heavy warships ready for the time when they encountered the aliens again. _Assuming of course that the politicians let us spend the money to commission new heavy warships and refit some of those stuck in mothballs,_ he thought knowing that despite what had happened there would be resistance in some political circles to increasing the defence budget and shifting industrial focus to more fleet related activities.

After a moment he sighed and stood up to leave the war room himself, he knew that there was a long battle ahead with the politicians with regards to rebuilding the fleets heavy units – gutted over the last few years by politicians looking to safe money. But that was the Fleet Admiral's battle to fight, not his own. He just hoped that Svetlana Kermanova won that battle quickly as was what Commander Larsen had said about the aliens possibly coming looking for the Terran Federation and its people now that they had revealed themselves to be a threat made an uncomfortable amount of sense. He knew they would if they were in the alien's position given that is was the Federal Guards sacred duty to protect the citizens of the Terran Federation unto death using any and all means necessary, there was nothing to assume that the military forces of the aliens weren't bound by a similar oath of service.

He could only hope that they would be ready for them when they came.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**Border Sentry Station 29 **

**Terran Federation **

**Two Days Later**

Lieutenant Phillip Paricio resisted the impulse to sigh in resignation as he slipped out of his quarters into the corridors of the border sentry station. He'd only been on board for a month and he already hated the place with a passion. Oh, the station had plenty of amenities for the monitoring stations hundred and fifty-two crewmembers, plenty of diversions to occupy you when off duty. It was going on duty here that he'd already decided he hated, mostly because it was boring as hell – sitting in the operations centre in the heart of a hollowed out asteroid orbiting a gas giant watching sensor screens that showed nothing beyond the movements of comets and asteroids. Nothing ever happened, nothing to the break the monotony, nothing exciting – which was what he'd joined the Federal Guard for, excitement.

The Federal Guard had established the sentry station network twenty-five years ago. The network being designed to augment the sensor coverage of Terran space to ensure the safety of commercial and private shipping from pirates and to deny them places to hide. Experience had taught the Federal Guard that pirates and other unsavoury groups liked to establish bases in out of the way systems where they could repair and refit ships without risking a destroyer patrol flotilla stumbling across them. In theory the sentry stations and their multi-light year range sensors coupled with the multi-light year range sensors on planets created a grid across Terran space that could track any ship from its departure point to its destination. All in all the system worked well – unless you were on the outlying sentry stations like Phil himself was. Even pirates didn't venture out here – there was nothing for them.

Pushing aside his boredom Phillip made his way to the closest transport tube station and boarded the maglev car he'd used his implant to summon before he'd left his quarters. As soon as he stepped in, he used his implant to tell the cars control processor to take him to station operations. The doors closed and with a soft humming sound of magnetic power the car began to move, speeding through tunnels bored in solid rock by heavy mining lasers when the station was constructed.

As the car made its way through the stations innards Phillip reflected – not for the first time – on the circumstances that had led to his assignment to this lonely old rock in the arse end of nowhere. It could all be traced back to someone he'd met during his last shore leave on Draconis Three. Janice Patterson had been beautiful and just his type but what he hadn't known was that her father was a) extremely overprotective of his only child, especially as his wife had died many years earlier, and b) was the rear admiral in charge of the eighth fleet. As soon as Admiral Jordan Patterson had heard that they were dating Phillip had found himself reassigned from his position as a junior ordinance officer on the destroyer _Acheron_ to Sentry Station 29 as far from Draconis – and Janice – as it was possible to get and still be in Terran space.

Not for the first time Phillip felt rage rise within him at what had happened to him, what had been done by Janice's overprotective father for no apparent reason other than the facts that he could and that he didn't want _anyone_ dating his daughter – even though she was a very attractive woman in her early twenties. The fact that he'd received a letter of apology from Janice afterwards didn't make him feel any better, nor did the fact that she still periodically contacted him – relaying her letters and his replies through a friend so her father wouldn't find out. _If only I could prove what that bastard did to me,_ he thought thinking about Jordan Patterson with extreme venom _I'd be able to get him booted out of the service for misusing his position and get my old job on the __Acheron__ back._

The maglev car came to a stop at the correct station for Station Operations and with practiced ease, Phillip pushed his anger at Admiral Patterson down for now. He would take it out on the punching bags or the weights in the gym later just as he always did. Getting out of the car, he made the short trek down a metal and stone corridor to the door to ops. _Here we go another monotonous shift begins,_ he thought as he put a hand on the door control panel. For a moment, nothing happened beyond the panel glowing as it confirmed his identity and security clearance, then the heavily armoured doors slid open and he slipped inside.

"Morning, Phil," a familiar voice said as he entered. Phillip looked over and found Colonel Gerald McGrath – Sentry Station 29's commanding officer – looking at him; Phil had to admit that he liked the guy. McGrath seemed to know at least some of the circumstances that had led to his assignment/exile here and had gone out of his way to make him feel welcome. On duty, there wasn't much that McGrath was able to do though to give him some variety McGrath had allowed him to help the engineers in the power centre on some shifts – having bore in mind that as an ordinance officer Phil was trained to handle volatile materials up to and including antimatter itself. Off duty however, McGrath had encouraged the crew to make Phil feel welcome and they had, something Phillip appreciated to know end.

"Morning, sir," Phil replied still not comfortable calling his commanding officer by his first name when on duty, even though McGrath had told him to reminding him that on the sentry stations discipline in that area was somewhat looser than on a ship. He just couldn't get out of the habit that had been practically programmed into him from the moment he'd joined the Federal Guard nearly ten years earlier.

McGrath rolled his eyes. "Phil how many times have I told you it's alright to use my first name even when on duty," he asked sounding fondly exasperated.

"A few times," Phil admitted feeling a grin forming at the edges of his mouth. "It's just hard to break the habit."

"Give it another month and you will," McGrath said knowingly. "Attend your station, Phil. And before you start there is an alpha priority order on the system that you'll need to read, every sensor operators having to read it as they come on duty."

"I understand," Phil replied frowning in concern. Alpha priority orders were very rarely issued, even when he was on the _Acheron_ they hadn't gotten many of them. They were usually orders that dealt with issues of extreme importance to the security of the Terran Federation as a whole – which was uncommon to say the least. The fact that someone had sent such an order to the sentry stations was cause for concern. "I wonder what's up," he continued.

McGrath shrugged. "Search me," he replied. "Something really has stirred up the hornets nest though as the order came directly from Admiral Kermanova's office back on Terra."

Phil's eyebrows shot up. "Maybe it's related to that state of alert they've had the whole of the guard on for the last week," he suggested.

"Possibly, High Command does seem to be worried about something," McGrath agreed. "But enough stalling, you better get to your station, Phil."

"Aye sir," Phil answered before moving across the operations centre to his assigned console. The previous sensor operator had gone off duty a few minutes earlier – not that it affected sensor coverage at all as the stations computer would just take over. A lot of the time the operator of a sensor console was nothing but a glorified systems supervisor, watching the computer as it broke down and analysed the data gathered by each of the stations powerful sensor arrays and the smaller satellite arrays spread throughout the system.

Settling down at the console Phillip sighed before powering up the terminal and logging in, first with a typed in security code and then with a separate but equally important code wirelessly transmitted from the memory nodes of his implant. The console lit up before him and a holographic screen blinked into existence showing the main directory for the stations sensor array. A symbol in the shape of a letter flashed in the bottom right hand corner of the holographic display, indicating the order/message that he had to read before getting down to business.

With a quick command to the console, he brought the order up on screen and began to carefully read it. After a moment, his grey-green eyes widened in surprise and a hint of disbelief. _They cannot be serious,_ he thought, _they want us to watch the borders for any sign of alien ships crossing into our space. We've never encountered space faring aliens. Or have we?_

Like everyone else on the station, he was aware of the rumours floating around the Starnet both on the discussion forums and on the news channels. Rumours centred around the fact that just under a week ago a heavy cruiser and a squadron of destroyers from the Fifth Fleet left Epsilon Eridani for an unknown destination. Barely a day and a half later two of them the cruiser – the _Railion_ he believed the news services had called her – and one of the destroyers had returned – both with considerable combat damage, their had been no sign of the other four destroyers, presumably they'd been destroyed in what had to have been a truly vicious fight. So far Federal Guard High Command in Geneva had not officially confirmed what had actually taken place and where, there press releases had indicated that they were still reviewing the situation. _However, that doesn't stop the media speculating on what happened,_ Phil thought before reading the order again. _Maybe the __Railion__ and her squadron really did get into a fight with alien forces. We could be at war and nobody even knows it yet._

After a moment he tapped in a command confirming that he'd read the order, making its window on the holographic screen close and brought up the sensor display screen. To Phil's complete and total lack of surprise the screen was blank, beyond showing the usual contacts of the gas giants many moons. After adjusting his chair a bit so he would be more comfortable, Phil settled in for another six hours of boredom.

It was not to be.

A sudden bleep from the sensors made him instantly sit up straighter from the bored slouch that he'd already started adopting and give the holoscreen his full attention. The sensors had detected a large contact in hyperspace heading towards this system, a contact that was coming in from the direction of the unknown regions. After a moment, the sensors confirmed that the hyperspace phase variance matched what they'd been told to look out for by High Command.

"Colonel you need to look at this," Phil called out to Gerald McGrath even as he keyed in a command for a more detailed investigation of the incoming hyperspace signature. A signature that was far to big to belong to a single ship, not even Kyoto-class battleships or Pegasus-class super carriers – the largest warships built by Terran hands – had hyperspace signatures anywhere near this massive.

"What is it, Phil," McGrath asked as he appeared at Phil's right side.

"Take a look," Phil replied gesturing to the screen. His superior did as he instructed and frowned in concern.

"Is this right?"

"I've got the computer doing an analysis now," Phil, replied a second before the console chimed and the view of the incoming contact changed, resolving into a group of ships travelling in close formation. "Oh crap."

"Indeed," McGrath agreed as he examined the refined display. According to the sensors there were twenty-two alien vessels inbound, four of them were large capital vessels the other eighteen were much smaller and were probably the alien equivalent of bombers or gunships. All in all a small but probably very powerful taskforce was approaching his space station, a force that Sentry Station 29's defence grid might not hold off for very long.

"How long till they reach us Phil?" he asked after a moment.

Phil tapped in a few commands and after a moment, the computer spat back a dismaying response. "If the fleet stays at its current speed they'll arrive in approximately ten minutes," he replied. "The one bit of good news is that if they stay on there current hyperspace vector they'll emerge deeper in the systems in what would be the liquid water zone. It would take them that bit longer to reach us."

"Keep an eye on them for me, Phil. Let me know the moment there is any change," McGrath ordered.

"Yes sir."

Moving away from the manned sensor station Gerald McGrath looked around the silent operations centre. The rest of the crew on duty had clearly heard every word that they'd said and were justifiably frightened.

"Battle stations," he ordered after a moment. "Get our shields up, energise the defence grid, activate the defence drones and arm the minefield. If the incoming alien forces want a fight, we'll give them one. Communications get me High Command."

"Aye sir," communications answered, discipline and training taking over from the normal laid-back style Gerald encouraged during the day-to-day running of the station. Taking a deep breath and quietly letting it out, Gerald walked back across the operations centre to the command station just as the call to battle stations began to wail throughout the station. He knew what his duty was, so did everyone else on the station. They had no choice but to stand up to the incoming alien ships, the only other option would be to roll over and let them either destroy or take the station. He hoped that it would not come to a fight with the aliens but if it did then he and the others would defend Sentry Station 29 with everything they had.

No matter the cost.

* * *

**Goa'uld Shal'kra-class Mothership**

**In Hyperspace**

**That Same Time**

Lord Boreas, Fleet Lord in the service of the System Lord Poseidon, resisted the impulse to start pacing as he stood alone in his chambers aboard the Shal'kra-class vessel that Poseidon and Amphitrite had assigned him as his flagship. He had dismissed all his slaves and attendants for now, preferring to be alone as he stood before his quarters view port looking at the shimmering blue-white-purple tunnel of hyperspace streaking past outside. He paid it no mind, instead his thoughts was dominated by thoughts of the mission he had been assigned, a mission that was directly related to the events that had taken place in orbit of and on the surface of the new mining world of Sakana a few days earlier.

Lord Poseidon had assigned him to find the world or worlds controlled by the mysterious Terrans who'd caused so much trouble for his liege at Sakana. The loss of three Ha'tak-class vessels with all hands, dozens of Alkesh and over two hundred Gliders, the serious damage inflicted to Lady Amphitrite's flagship and the death of Deimos was a blow that would take years to properly recover from. In addition, the detonation of unheard of antimatter weapons in orbit of Sakana had caused environmental damage to the planet – some of the intense radiation from the explosions had penetrated the planets atmosphere, enough to disrupt the delicate balance of the upper atmosphere. The planet was now being lashed with super storms that had made it impossible to continue mining naquada there and would continue to make it impossible for at least another decade. While such a length of time was small in the context of a Goa'uld or Jaffa's lifespan it was inconvenient to say the least as they were now forced to find additional sources of the valuable ore to make up the shortfall caused by the temporary loss of the Sakana mines.

The massive setback to Poseidon's plans had enraged the System Lord and made him even more determined to find these Terrans and punish them for their insolence. Boreas understood his liege's annoyance – the loss of Sakana meant that they would now not be able to martial enough resources to be sure of victory if they went ahead with the planned invasion of the resource rich systems controlled by Lord Hades. Boreas had been looking forward to giving the other Goa'uld's fleet a few headaches as he took them apart, something that would now be very difficult bordering on the impossible. However, Boreas was weary of his current mission, though he was far to experienced in the politics of Poseidon's court to express his misgivings.

The reason he was weary of his mission was the fact that they knew so little about the mysterious Terrans. All they really knew about them was the fact that technologically they were an advanced race, and wielded very powerful and unusual directed energy weapons and had found away to do something that had always stumped the System Lords. And that was finding away to generate enough antimatter to use in weapons and possibly even use as a power source for their admittedly impressive warships. Beyond that they knew nothing about them, didn't know how many warships they had, how many worlds they controlled, didn't know the distribution of the military forces nothing. All of which concerned Boreas as while the four motherships – one Shal'kra and three Ha'tak – and eighteen Alkesh that made up his attack group were powerful they were not invincible and the Terrans had already shown that there weapons were easily capable of overloading even the latest generation Goa'uld shielding and destroying a mothership in relatively short order. _I cannot afford to underestimate these Terrans if I find them,_ he thought, _Deimos did that and promptly got his ships destroyed. I must not as Lord Poseidon can't really afford to lose more ships without starting to substantially weaken frontier defences._

Bearing that in mind Boreas was determined to be cautious when dealing with them and their military forces. After all, only a fool – or a Goa'uld who honestly believed their own propaganda about being gods – did not respect an enemy's power, specially if those powers were at the very least equal to those possessed by the Goa'uld themselves. He would engage the Terrans if he believed he had a chance of securing victory – that was his duty as Poseidon's fleet lord, which was always a precarious position as there were any number of lower ranked Goa'uld lieutenants who would love to take the position from him – but he wouldn't waste the lives of his Jaffa needlessly. After all Jaffa trained to man and to an extent repair starships were not easily replaced as only the most loyal and capable Jaffa were trusted with such secrets.

A bleep from the console in his quarters brought Boreas out of his thoughts. Calmly he moved over to the console and pressed one of the crystalline controls that was pulsing green.

"**Yes," **he asked.

"Forgive me for disturbing you, my lord but the fleet is approaching our next emergence coordinates," Rel'nak – the most senior Jaffa on board – replied from the pel'tac. "Sensors also report that we have been scanned."

"**By who," **Boreas asked knowing that few races in this galaxy other than themselves, the hated Tok'ra, the greatly feared Asgard and the Tollan had the ability to scan ships in hyperspace from normal space. If either of the latter two was in the area then he would have to be extremely careful – less his ships get blasted apart by the powerful particle pulse/beam weapons that both were known to possess.

"Its coming from the system we are approaching, my lord," Rel'nak answered. "My lord the scan frequencies match the records of Terran subspace scans, however they are considerably more powerful than what was observed at Sakana. I believe that they are either coming from a planet or a stationary base."

"**So we have found them,"** Boreas said putting a note of eagerness in his voice for the Jaffa's sake. **"Bring the fleet to battle stations, power up all weapons systems and prepare primary Glider squadrons for launch. I will be on the pel'tac shortly."**

"Yes my lord," Rel'nak acknowledged sounding eager to engage the Terrans in battle and avenge the loss of so many Jaffa and one of his gods over Sakana. _Jaffa always so concerned with honour,_ Boreas thought as he signed off with Rel'nak before pressing another control. A sound like a gong echoed through the air and one of the hidden doors in his chambers opened and his lotar entered in response to the summons.

"You sent for me my lord?" the Human asked his eyes aimed at the floor as it was forbidden for a lotar or any other slave to look their Goa'uld master in the eyes.

"**Bring me my armour."**

"As my lord commands," the lotar replied with a deep bow before retreating from the room to retrieve his master's formal battle armour.

Boreas watched his personal attendant/slave leave the room before turning his attention to the likely battle ahead. It was obvious now that the Terrans knew they were coming, knew and would probably be ready to open fire on them the moment the fleet dropped out of hyperspace. It would make his task that much more difficult, especially as he still didn't quite know what the fleet would be fling into, hopefully he had just found an outer colony with minimal defence capabilities. If he had then he would be assured of a relatively quick victory which would both punish the Terrans for their insolence and potentially provide much needed knowledge about them and their technological capabilities.

However he knew the had to be prepared for the possibility that they hadn't discovered a minor settlement or outpost but had instead come across a major world or major military base. Either would present a huge challenge for such a small force as what he currently commanded. Still he would do his best to defeat them and gather the information that his liege had demanded that he find.

There was after all no other choice.

* * *

**A Few Minutes Later**

Boreas was the picture of Goa'uld arrogance and confidence as clad in his golden battle armour he strode onto the pel'tac of his flagship. Following alone behind him was his faithful lotar who had to always be near his master's side whenever the ship engaged in combat, just in case Boreas current host were to be injured beyond the Goa'uld symbiotes natural abilities to heal. In which case the lotar would be given the high honour of becoming a new host to Poseidon's fleet lord.

"**Report Jaffa,"** he ordered as he moved to the command deck throne and imperiously sat down.

Rel'nak turned from the main console and bowed to the living god before him before answering the question. "My lord we're approaching the target system," he reported. "All ships, stations and systems report ready to engage the enemy in combat."

"**Excellent. Time till we emerge from hyperspace?"**

"One minute my lord."

"**Very good, you serve me well as usual Rel'nak."**

"My life is but to serve you my lord," Rel'nak answered.

"**As it should be. Attend your station, Rel'nak."**

"Yes my lord," Rel'nak acknowledged with a deep bow to the god before turning back to the main console and the preparations to engage the blasphemous Terrans in combat. He was looking forward to it, looking forward to teaching this latest upstart Human nation that they could not defy the will of the living gods that were the Goa'uld without the most severe of consequences. Fortunately these Terrans while very powerful were not quite a powerful as some others like the Tollan were; there was still time to teach them the error of their ways before conquering them so they served the will of the gods as all Humans should.

A soft chime from the console caught his attention and Rel'nak allowed a smile to cross his habitually serious expression. The fleet was coming up on its emergence coordinates, in mere seconds they would be ready to unleash the divine retribution of Poseidon down upon the enemy. It would be most glorious. _Don't underestimate the enemy,_ Rel'nak reminded himself, _these Terrans have already shown how powerful they can be and how hard they can and will fight. Underestimating them will only lead to defeat, death and dishonour._

The console chimed again, the navigational computer informing him that they had reached there destination coordinates. "My lord we have arrived," he reported to Lord Boreas. "Dropping out of hyperspace… now."

Sitting on his throne Boreas nodded even though Rel'nak wouldn't be able to see him and focused his attention on the trapezoidal view port at the front of the pel'tac. The shimmering blue-white-purple tunnel effect of hyperspace abruptly flashed and then evaporated as with a faint jolt the mighty Shal'kra-class mothership slipped back into normal space-time. For a moment the view out of the port was blurred with optical distortion as the ship was propelled forward at very high sublight speed by hyperspace inertia, the blurring rapidly dissolved as the ships powerful sublight engines decelerated the great warship to normal sublight cruising speed.

It was immediately obvious that something wasn't right.

Standing up from his throne Boreas walked forward to see that where there should have been a habitable planet there was nothing but an immense field of rock and dust. Either there hadn't been enough mass present to form a planet here when the system finished its accretion phase or the planet had somehow been destroyed. Whichever it was it beggared the question of where the Terran presence was in this system.

"**Scan the system,"** Boreas ordered after a moment's contemplation of the asteroid field a few hundred kilometres from where his ship had now come to a dead halt in space. **"Locate the Terran presence in this system."**

"Yes my lord," Rel'nak replied as he fed the command into the main console.

* * *

Silently, invisibly beams of subspace energy reached out from the powerful sensor arrays of Boreas' flagship, sweeping space around the ship as it searched for its prey. Holding formation with the bigger Shal'kra the three Ha'tak's joined in the search, there own sensors beginning to run in depth scans of the system.

It was not an easy task. The system being full of debris left over from its accretion phase in addition to the massive amount of ionising radiation being put out by the systems blue giant star. All of which conspired to downgrade the ability of the Goa'uld sensors to find anything of interest to Lord Boreas.

After another few minutes the group of motherships and their supporting Alkesh moved cautiously further apart and continued scanning the system. They continued to follow the same pattern – moving further and further apart – for the next couple of minutes. Until energy emissions began to tease there sensors from the direction of the two gas giants that there were in the system.

* * *

**Lord Boreas Flagship**

"My lord," Rel'nak reported. "Sensors have detected energy emissions near this system's gas giants they appear to be located at the gravitational balance points."

"**Interesting,"** Boreas rumbled thoughtfully. **"Order the fleet to move closer. Continue sensor scans of the surrounding area."**

"As my lord commands," Rel'nak answered before relaying the orders to the rest of the fleet.

As the motherships and their escort began to move out towards the gas giants and there attendant systems of moons and asteroids Boreas leaned back in his throne deep in thought. As he'd said to Rel'nak the discovery of energy emissions at the points in space, where the gravitational fields of the planets and moons cancelled each other out was interesting to say the least. Such locations were ideal places to build space stations and other such pieces of space infrastructure – his own race had done it from time to time when they occasionally built space stations like the one that served as a neutral meeting place for the High Council of System Lords at Hasara.

The question he had to ask himself now was why the Terrans had gone to the bother of building space stations or space habitats – if that's what was teasing there sensors – here? There were no useable resources in this system that sensors could detect. No naquada, no trinium no nothing, certainly nothing that would justify building such structures. So why had they decided to build such things here? Assuming what the sensors were detecting were space habitats, they could just as easily be something like a sensor satellite or something of that nature.

"My lord the forward Alkesh are getting detailed scan results of the first contacts," Rel'nak reported breaking the silence that had descended on the pel'tac. "It appears to be a sensor satellite; design is very similar to the sensor satellites the first Terran ship deployed over Sakana."

"**Order the Alkesh to destroy the satellites,"** Boreas instructed. **"And Rel'nak have all four motherships launch a squadron of Gliders we'll sweep the area around the gas giants. There is something more here."**

"Yes my lord."

* * *

**Operations Centre**

**Sentry Station 29**

Lieutenant Phillip Paricio kept his eyes focused on his sensor displays as the alien warships and there escort of gunships – at least that's what he thought them to be – drew ever closer to the first sensor satellite floating in the L4 Lagrange point. They were almost within weapons range of the first satellite and as he watched, the alien craft broke formation. Some of the gunships breaking into groups of three and moving away from the capital ships just as scores of new contacts began to appear.

"Colonel alien vessels are closing on the first satellite," he reported to Gerald McGrath. "Enemy gunships are breaking away from their capital ships. Three groups are heading for the Lagrange point satellites; three more are heading around the curve of the gas giant. Alien capital ships are launching fighters."

"How long till there gunships reach us, Phil," McGrath asked.

"At there current speed and orbital insertion vector, two minutes," Phil answered just as his console gave a bleep and a section of his screen went dark. "L4 satellite has been destroyed."

"Stand by defence grid," McGrath ordered looking over at Jeremy at weapons. "Have the defence drones and mines hold fire; we'll need them against the alien fighters if they close to engagement range."

"Aye sir," Jeremy answered giving the appropriate commands to his console, commands that were instantly relayed electronically to crew in the weapons control rooms or in the case of the defence drones via encrypted subspace burst transmission.

"Alien gunships closing," Phil called out. "They've seen us, weapons range in sixty seconds."

"Show me," McGrath ordered. Phil nodded and nearly instantly, a holographic screen blinked into existence showing Gerald McGrath a view of the three alien gunships approaching. On the visual display, they were small metallic specs approaching at high speed, back dropped by the white and saffron coloured storm bands of the gas giant the station orbited, sensor overlays revealed that each ship was surrounded by a weak shield and that its weapons systems were armed. The three ships appeared to be angling to pass over the station in a classic strafing or bombing run and were bearing straight in as if unconcerned that they might have defensive weapons. _Either there sensors are having difficulties penetrating our shields or someone on those ships is not paying attention,_ he thought just as the alien attack craft crossed a specific line in space.

* * *

The moment the three Alkesh bombers crossed an imaginary, electronic line the sentry stations defence grid opened fire. Two brilliant whitish red heavy laser beams and a volley of yellow-orange fusion blaster bolts ripped forth from some of the stations defensive weapons emplacements and shot towards the incoming Goa'uld mid-range bombers.

Travelling at the speed of light the heavy laser beams arrived first. Two of the Alkesh shattered as the powerful beams ripped right through their weak shielding as if it didn't exist to slice both craft cleanly in two. Explosive decompression ripped what was left of both craft apart, instantly turning each into a plume of vaporised metal, vapour and torn fragments. The remaining Alkesh immediately began taking evasive action, evading the bolts of superheated, fusion density deuterium ions fired by the stations fusion blasters with relative ease. However, in evading the six vaguely elliptical energy bolts it turned right into the path of another heavy laser beam and like its two companions disintegrated in a massive explosion as it was speared from end to end.

* * *

**Lord Boreas Flagship**

Rel'nak frowned when the ships sensors picked up three explosions on the opposite side of the planet from the orbit the fleet had begun to establish. Explosions that were on the same flight path that some of the dispatched Alkesh had been on, which told him that those three Alkesh had been destroyed.

"My lord," he reported to the living god behind him. "The three Alkesh sent to the other side of the planet have been destroyed."

"**Can you tell how,"** Boreas asked calmly.

"I am afraid not my lord. The explosions were to brief and partially obscured by the curvature of the planet."

Boreas frowned thoughtfully and felt no small amount of concern. The fact that the three Alkesh had been destroyed was cause for concern yet also a small amount of satisfaction. There was a Terran presence in this system other than unmanned sensor satellites. _Lord Poseidon should get some answers after all,_ he thought, _however first I need to find out what exactly it is that we are dealing with here._

"**Dispatch one of the Ha'tak's, three more Alkesh and a squadron of Gliders to the other side of the planet. Have them investigate and report. All other forces hold position."**

"As my lord commands," Rel'nak answered before relaying the god's orders to the rest of the fleet.

* * *

**Operations Centre**

**Sentry Station 29**

Colonel Gerald McGrath frowned slightly at the tactical holoscreen floating in front of him as another group of alien craft began approaching his station from the other side of the planet. It was a sizeable chunk of the enemy force and one he didn't intend to underestimate as everything they knew about this race – which wasn't a hell of a lot to be honest – indicated that they were both powerful and dangerous. Underestimating them would only result in the deaths or capture of everyone on Sentry Station 29.

"Stand by sentry drones," he ordered after a moment. "Prepare to engage enemy fighter craft. Defence grid target beam weapons on the approaching alien capital ship, save fusion blasters for their gunships."

"Aye sir," Jeremy answered from weapons.

"Colonel we've just received a subspace burst signal from the Fifth Fleet headquarters at Epsilon Eridani," communications called out. "A carrier group led by the _Victorious _is on its way to assist us. They'll reach this system in approximately fifteen minutes."

"Understood," Gerald, answered feeling some tension leave his shoulders at the news that help was on the way. Having served with the Fifth Fleet prior to his assignment here, he was well aware of the make up and strength of the _Victorious_ carrier battle group. In addition to the Pandora-class heavy carrier _Victorious_, the group consisted of two Endeavour-class carriers _Invincible _and _Kitty Hawk_ – if he remembered the names correctly – and a standard escort squadron of sixteen destroyers and eight cruisers. Overall, a force that would be both big enough and powerful enough to completely and effortlessly crush the forces attacking his station. _Assuming we can hold off the aliens long enough for them to get here,_ he thought.

"Alien forces closing," Phil called out across the operations centre bringing Gerald's attention back to the issue at hand. "Weapons range in twelve seconds. Wait alien forces have stopped. Oh hell – the rest of the alien fleet is moving in our direction."

Gerald nodded. He could see it himself on the tactical display; the rest of the enemy squadron was moving to attack his station. _If only I had some missiles,_ he thought looking at the closer group of ships; they were outside energy weapon range but would have been well within missile range if the station had had any. Unfortunately they didn't have any as the stations defences had been designed more with pirates in mind and pirates rarely if ever used missiles, they were simply to expensive for them both to buy the weapons and maintain them and their launching systems. Moreover, missiles kind of had the habit of destroying a target once its shields went down, which was somewhat counterproductive from a pirates point of view. You could hardly loot a ship or space habitat that had been blown to smithereens.

"Colonel the largest alien ship is hailing us," communications reported. _Probably going to demand our surrender,_ Gerald thought before responding.

"Put them through," he ordered.

"Yes sir."

For a moment nothing happened then the holographic screen changed from a tactical overlay to the face and upper torso of the commander of the enemy forces. Despite having read, some of the debriefing reports from the previous encounter with these aliens by the Federal Guard it was all Gerald McGrath could do not to gasp when he found himself face to face with another Human or at least a Human-looking alien.

The commander of the enemy ship was a handsome man with golden brown skin, black hair and grey-blue eyes that were filled with intelligence and something else. Something dark, cold and evil, something that obliterated whatever warmth and humanity might have once been there. Something that clearly communicated that appearances aside the man who was facing him was not Human or at least wasn't anymore.

For a moment the man – if that's what he was – on the other end of the subspace transmission studied Gerald with a cold interest, making him feel that he was somekind of bug being examined under a microscope. Then the enemy commander's eyes glowed with a whitish gold light from within and he spoke in a deep, resonant voice that was in no way at all Human.

"**Terran space station,"** the alien intoned. **"I am the great god Boreas, commander of the forces you face. You are outnumbered and outgunned by my forces. Surrender to me and I shall be merciful, fight and you will face my divine wrath."**

Gerald raised an eyebrow at the deity reverences. This Boreas seemed to be of the impression that he was somekind of god just like the last of his race who'd communicated with them, the one who'd claimed to be the goddess Amphitrite. He very much doubted that these aliens – whatever they were – were the gods they claimed to be. Gods wouldn't need starships to get around after all. As for surrendering the station to Boreas – that would be impossible, Federal Guard standing orders forbade such things for very good reasons.

"Boreas," he answered after a moment. "I am Colonel Gerald McGrath, commander of this installation."

"**Greetings, Colonel McGrath,"** Boreas answered. **"Do you surrender to me?"**

"I'm afraid that we cannot," McGrath replied. "This station is not for you."

"**You dare to defy me,"** Boreas growled.

"I do. You will not take this station from us, Boreas. In fact might I suggest you withdraw from this system, your violation of Terran space is an act of aggression that could well lead to war. I'm sure neither of us wants to unleash such a horror upon the galaxy."

"**Insolence,"** Boreas snarled his eyes flashing whitish-gold again. **"Surrender now and I will yet extend you mercy. Fight and there shall be none."**

"We cannot surrender, Boreas," McGrath answered keeping his voice and face calm. "And I ask you as one sentient being to another reconsider this action."

"**I have had enough of your insolence. You are fool, Colonel McGrath. I have generously offered you a chance to surrender and you have refused me. Now you shall face my wrath. Kree Jaffa."**

"Well that could have gone better," Gerald said softly as the subspace link with the enemy flagship closed down and the tactical hologram returned.

"Alien forces are moving again," Phil reported. "Fighters squadrons and gunships approaching, capital ships are hanging back."

"Release alpha group mines and defence drones. If the aliens want this station then they can try and take it."

"Aye sir," Jeremy answered giving the appropriate commands to his console.

* * *

Silent in the vacuum of space the squadrons of gliders and Alkesh launched from the Goa'uld battle group streaked towards the Terran space station on attack vectors. To a soul the Jaffa piloting the attack craft were eager to unleash their fury upon the stations builders who'd dared to defy the will of one of the gods. Streaking forward at hundreds of kilometres a second the small Goa'uld ships quickly crossed a predetermined point in space, unknowingly flying straight into the defensive minefield that surrounded Sentry Station 29.

Normally the defensive fields of high-yield fusion mines that surrounded the sentry stations were next to invisible and harmless. Each mine was coated in the same kind of sensor absorptive materials as what made up the hulls of the Phantom-class stealth cruisers operated by the Federal Guards Special Operations and Intelligence Division was almost invisible to most subspace sensor systems when inactive unless you knew exactly what you were looking for and even then, it would be very difficult. However as the gliders and Alkesh crossed deep into the field, the mines came to life – registering on the Goa'uld sensors as sudden sharp energy and neutron radiation spikes as the mines armed themselves.

The approaching phalanx of gliders and Alkesh abruptly slowed and tried to veer away as the Jaffa pilots became aware of the danger and frantically tried to get out of the field. However, it was already far, far too late. The first mine erupted in the brilliant blue-white flash of a thermonuclear detonation, flooding the region immediately around it with a sphere of fusion plasma a hundred times hotter than the core of a star. A millisecond later a second mine detonated, then a third until within the space of a second twenty-five of the eighty mines in the field had self-immolated themselves.

The plasma spheres from the detonating mines merged and propagated in a lethal chain reaction that enveloped the fleeing Goa'uld attack craft before they had a chance to travel a few hundred metres let alone escape the field. The squadrons of gliders flashed out of existence instantly, they and their pilots vaporised before they truly realised what was happening. For the Alkesh the situation was far worse, the weak shields around each bomber flared brilliantly as the searing plasma clawed at them. For several heart-stopping seconds the shields weathered the maelstrom before flickering out of existence allowing the steadily cooling fusion plasma to slam into the hull. Despite its dropping temperature the plasma was still more than hot enough to instantly burn through the relatively thin naquada-trinium alloy hull of the bomber and superheat the atmosphere to the point of ignition. Simultaneously every single Alkesh in the assault wave exploded, their detonating naquada reactors fuelling the conflagration that blazed in space between Sentry Station 29 and the Goa'uld fleet.

Finally, though the plasmatic maelstrom cooled and began dissipating, though sensors on both sides remained blind from the intense radiation storm caused by the blasts for several moments. When the radiation finally cleared enough to see both Terran and Goa'uld alike could see that there was nothing left of the wave of gliders and Alkesh beyond a dissipating plume of cooling plasma and dust.

* * *

**Pel'tac**

**Lord Boreas Flagship**

Stunned silence reigned in the command centre of the mighty Shal'kra-class mothership, Jaffa crewmembers and their Goa'uld commander staring at the spreading plume of plasma and dust that once been gliders and Alkesh in disbelief. There sensors had revealed absolutely no trace of a minefield between them and the station when they'd first detailed the fighters and bombers to attack, let alone a field of mines whose power rivalled the mines in the Tobin system.

Mentally Lord Boreas shook himself out of his fugue state as anger stirred within him at the sight before him. He'd had enough of these Terrans insolence it was time to make them pay for it, with their lives if need be, though he was still under orders from Poseidon to gather information on them. Yet did he risk moving the fleet in closer? The sensors had only revealed only twenty-five individual mine detonations before the radiation burst had clouded their screens, he'd never heard of a minefield with such a low number of mines. There were bound to be more of them, and given there observed power they'd quickly wear down the shields on his motherships should they get into their attack radius. After a moment he smiled softly as an idea occurred to him for how he could clear away the mines if there were anymore there, without risk to his motherships or gliders he had launched to replace the destroyed ones.

"**Jaffa. Have all motherships arm energy torpedo launchers,"** he ordered.

"Yes my lord. But my lord might I remind you that the Terran space station is out of torpedo range," Rel'nak replied turning to look at the god behind him.

"**I am aware of that the station is not my target. Have all motherships deploy torpedoes in a wide angle dispersal pattern."**

Understanding appeared on Rel'nak's face as he realised what Lord Boreas intended to do. "As you command, my lord," he replied with a respectful bow before turning back to the main console and relaying the instructions to the other three motherships.

"All ships report ready my lord," he reported after a moment.

"**Then by all means fire."**

* * *

Crackling silvery white spheres of unstable charged particles burst forth from the energy torpedo banks of the four Goa'uld motherships. Each Ha'tak unleashing four torpedoes apiece while the larger and far more heavily armed Shal'kra unleashed eight torpedoes from its weapons banks. The twenty torpedoes streaked towards Sentry Station 29 at high speed, though the station itself was not their target.

At a distance of a hundred and fifty kilometres from the station, the volley of torpedoes spread out in a wide arc before all detonating simultaneously. As with the detonation of the fusion mines wide spheres of energy appeared in space, spreading and merging the detonating energy bombs seemed to momentarily tear open the very fabric of space itself. Mines caught in the blast radius immediately flashed to vapour, wiped from existence by the rampaging energy storm in mere milliseconds – there thin hulls unable to resist the forces unleashed upon them.

* * *

**Operations Centre**

**Sentry Station 29**

Colonel McGrath frowned at the holographic tactical display floating in front of him. The alien ships had managed to clear away seventy five percent of the mines remaining in field alpha with that one heavy volley of their strange energy based torpedoes. The remaining mines in the field would not be able to help against four alien capital ships. Despite the high yield of their fusion warheads there wouldn't be enough of them to do more than moderate damage to the alien shields – assuming of course the mines could get into range without being shot down as while near invisible when immobile the mines were easy to target when mobile. If there point defence capabilities were even half-decent – and he had to assume they were – the alien ships would have no trouble shooting them down.

A change on the holographic display caught his attention a moment before Phil spoke up from sensors.

"Alien capital ships closing, there launching more fighters," he said. "Twenty seconds to weapons range."

"Communications how long until the _Victorious_ gets here?" Gerald asked.

"Still ten minutes sir," communications reported.

"Damn," Gerald said softly, he had hoped that the mines and the defence drones – that were still hovering close to the station – would have delayed the aliens longer so they wouldn't really have to fight. "Then we have no choice," he added speaking aloud this time. "Engineering transfer as much power as possible to shield generators and the defence grid. Damage control, lock down all outer decks and compartments.

"All other personnel prepare for siege."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven**_

**Lord Boreas Flagship**

Sitting proudly, arrogantly on his pel'tac throne Lord Boreas carefully studied the holographic tactical display that had replaced the trapezoidal view port out on space beyond the golden, hieroglyph encrusted bulkheads of the Shal'kra-class mothership. The hologram displayed all the data the motherships scanners had been able to gather on the Terran outpost whose foolish, insolent commander had refused his generous offer to surrender.

It was not as much information as Boreas would have liked as the Terran station had begun generating somekind of electronic interference pattern, a pattern that combined with the radiation emissions of the gas giant was seriously degrading the resolution of his ships sensors. What he could see however told him that boarding and capturing the Terran facility was not going to be easy and could potentially be even more costly than it had already been for the forces under his command. The Terrans had built their outpost inside and around a nickel-iron asteroid of moderate size. Every surface of the asteroid was covered with projections of various sizes and designs and interspersed with them were a number of weapons turrets. The station was surrounded by a force shield, however they weren't able to get any detailed readings on the fields strength as the Terran jamming made such high resolution sensor scans impossible. They couldn't get detailed scans of the facilities weapons systems for the same reason, though if their ship mounted weapons were anything to go by the stations defensive armaments would be formidable.

"My Lord all reserve Glider squadrons have been launched and are awaiting your orders to attack," Rel'nak reported from the main console.

"**Excellent," **Boreas answered, **"order Gliders to commence strafing runs on the station. All motherships will move forward into fire support formation."**

"As my lord commands," Rel'nak responded before relaying the god's instructions to the Death Glider pilots and the commanders of the other three motherships. As the sensor display showed the Gliders beginning to advance on the station in a confident battle formation Rel'nak found himself envying the pilots. They would be the first to begin delivering Poseidon's retribution to the blasphemous Terrans, what he wouldn't give to be amongst them delivering the first blows of Goa'uld wrath.

Sadly he wasn't among them; he would be watching and taking part in the battle from the pel'tac of Boreas' mighty flagship. It was an acceptable compromise…

…as long as he got to watch the station – and the enemies of the gods it contained – burn.

* * *

**Operations Centre**

**Sentry Station 29**

"Enemy forces closing," Lieutenant Phillip Paricio reported as the sensor readings in front of him changed to show the alien fleet beginning to move again. He was vaguely surprised to find that the aliens weren't using any form of electronic countermeasures – certainly Terran commanders would to try and confuse enemy sensors and reduce the likelihood of defending fire striking their ships shields. The fact that the aliens weren't trying was puzzling and suggested that they were either supremely confident of victory for some reason, or they didn't have any ECM systems worth mentioning.

"Enemy fighters approaching on a strafing vector," he added. "Alien capital ships appear to be hanging back behind the fighter lines but are continuing to advance. First fighter wings entering defence drone engagement range. Alien capital ships approaching beam weapon range, laser range in four seconds they'll reach fusion beam range approximately thirty seconds later."

"Understood," Colonel Gerald McGrath answered studying the holographic tactical display floating in front of him. "Defence drones engage enemy fighters, fusion blasters stand by to engage any fighters that get past the drones. Lasers and fusion beams target the alien capital ships engage as soon as they enter optimum firing range."

"Aye sir," Lieutenant Jeremy White answered from tactical before relaying the orders to the crews in the weapons control rooms and to the defending sentry drones via encrypted subspace databurst transmission. "Defence drones have acknowledged the command and are moving to engage the alien fighters."

"Understood," Gerald acknowledged before turning his full attention back to the tactical hologram which showed the mass of red dots that represented the alien fighters sweeping towards the station like a shroud of blood. A smaller number of small green dots representing the defending drones advanced towards the fighters, fighters that showed no reaction to the approaching drones.

The behaviour of the alien fighters, their apparent obliviousness to the intercepting robot craft puzzled him. He began to wonder if the stations ECM emissions were disrupting the fighter's sensors so much that they couldn't see the drones through the electronic haze. It would explain the total lack of concern the alien pilots displayed, lack that was otherwise inexplicable as the stations sensors confirmed that the fighters had no shields and were only lightly armoured compared to the drones that were both lightly armoured and shielded. New data flashing up on the screen brought a smile to his face; the drones were engaging. _Surprise_, he thought.

* * *

**Lead Goa'uld Fighter**

**That Same Time**

Sitting comfortably in his seat Va'tan scowled as he studied the limited target information being supplied by his Gliders sensor suit. As the command fighter of the squadron he had better sensors at his disposal than other Glider pilots but even with the advantage they provided he was not getting much information on the target as the Gliders closed to combat range. In fact he was having difficulty seeing anything on the HUD at all; most of the screen was awash with static or electronic distortions. The immense amount of radiation flooding this systems blue giant star coupled with the electronic interference patterns the Terran space station was putting out conspiring together to make said station almost invisible to his scanners.

What little information he was able to make out however concerned him. The asteroid the station was built in and around was protected by a powerful force shield, breaking through it with Glider staff cannons would not be easy going on the shield power readings he could make out and it no doubt had defensive weapons that he would have to try and dodge. Still he would try his best to defeat the Terrans and take the station – to do otherwise would be disrespectful, bordering on blasphemous, to the gods. Not that he really cared about being blasphemous to the Goa'uld, like his father before him and his grandfather before that he wasn't entirely convinced that the Goa'uld were the all powerful gods they claimed to be. His father had long encouraged Va'tan to think for himself to see through the façade of Goa'uld divinity, to see them for what they really were – a race of evil, parasitic serpentine creatures that took over the bodies of other beings and did what they willed with them. The Goa'uld were truly not worthy of his worship, they weren't true gods but demons to be destroyed.

Not that knowing the true nature of the Goa'uld helped him much. He and like minded Jaffa could never reveal what they knew – they had to hide in the ranks of their misguided brothers who believed the Goa'uld's lies – the consequences of doing so. The Goa'uld always made a point of brutally punishing Jaffa who stood up to them and openly questioned their divinity – executing them again and again in the most brutal and horrific ways possible as punishment for their blasphemy and only granting the mercy of a quick and permanent death when the unfortunate Jaffa repented their accusations and pleaded for forgiveness. Sometimes it wasn't easy keeping quite but he'd managed it – and ascended high into the ranks of Poseidon's fleet based Jaffa as a result, which was useful to the quiet underground movement among the ranks of the Jaffa of all Goa'uld. A movement that dreamed of freedom from the Goa'uld's oppression for all Jaffa but which knew they were unlikely to ever achieve it, even with tacit aid and support from the Tok'ra. Far, far too many Jaffa believed the Goa'uld to be gods for freedom and the idea of a separate and free Jaffa nation to be anything other than a pipe dream, a dream that they would never give up on however unlikely it was to ever come true.

A sudden warning bleep from the Gliders computer brought him out of his thoughts. Glancing at the HUD Va'tan's eyes widened when he saw dozens of small objects moving towards him and his brother Jaffa, objects that were painting them with targeting systems a moment before opening up sending a barrage of yellow-orange bolts and red beams right at them.

"All Gliders evasive action," he shouted into the squadron command frequency even as he jinked his Glider into a hard bank to port, only just evading a pulse that would have crippled or even destroyed him. Other Jaffa mimicked the move, throwing their craft into evasive manoeuvres, despite this several Gliders exploded as bolts of energy struck home and punched through the armoured fuselages as if it were tissue paper as opposed to strong metal. Three more Gliders spun out of control as the fewer number of red energy beams sliced into their craft, taking off parts of wings, damaging engines or destroying control surfaces and in one case breaching the cockpit windows so explosive decompression instantly killed the unfortunate Jaffa pilot.

Va'tan didn't have time to mourn the deaths of ten of his compatriots; he was two busy trying to stay alive dodging a beam that wanted to slice his ship in two. A moment later something cut across his vision and he got a look at what was firing at him – even as the death explosions of another four Gliders lit up the stars.

His attacker was a small object about two thirds the size of a Death Glider. It was roughly cylindrical in design with two small cannons mounted on a pair of small winglets that extended out from the main fuselage. A third cannon of a different design to the other two sat at the tip of the objects tapering nose – a cannon whose muzzle glowed brilliantly with a bright red light. Realising what was about to happen, Va'tan jerked his craft upwards – just in time to avoid the brilliant javelin of energy that erupted from the alien fighter – if it was a fighter as he hadn't seen anything like a cockpit window anywhere on the thing.

Not giving the bizarre fighter a chance to strike again he fired back – sending a pair of yellow bolts back in retaliation. What happened next stunned him as instead of impacting and destroying the fighter the plasma blasts impacted a force field that hugged the hull of the craft almost like a second skin. The shield around the fighter flashed brilliantly with a scintillating blue glow that seemed to make the ship light up as the energy of the plasma blasts were dispersed and refracted harmlessly back out into space. The alien craft seemed to stagger in space from the attack but other than that seemed to be completely unharmed.

Not giving the craft a chance to recover and strike at him again Va'tan fired twice more. As with his first attack the first bolts of plasma impacted the fighters shield though the blue flash of diffusion was notably brighter this time. The second pair of plasma bolts smashed through the shield and cut through the thin hull of the alien craft and detonated whatever its power source was – turning the fighter into a momentary fireball that rapidly cooled in the absolute zero of space leaving behind a plume of so much metallic confetti.

Va'tan didn't chance to celebrate his victory as abruptly his Glider shuddered violently as something smashed into him from behind. Warning lights flashed on his displays reporting heavy damage to his propulsion and weapons systems. Wrestling with suddenly partially unresponsive controls he tried to counteract the horizontal spin that his fighter had picked up from the inertia imparted by the eruption of molten metal from the beam strike. After what seemed like an eternity – but was in reality probably only a few seconds – he managed to bring the Glider back onto an even keel and could turn his attention to the damage report that flashed up on the HUD eyepiece he was wearing.

It was not encouraging.

The beam from the Terran weapon – which the Glider computer identified as somekind of laser – had punched through the fuselage of his craft between the main drive and the power source. Had it struck an inch more in the direction of either system the beam would have blasted his ship apart. As it was he had sustained heavy damage. He was venting coolant which had caused the computer to automatically commence scram procedures for the main drive to prevent it overheating and melting. The upshot of the shutdown however was the fact that he had no way of manoeuvring his craft – he was committed to the slow orbit of the gas giant that his craft had fallen into. Not that manoeuvring capabilities would have gained him anything as according to the damage report his weapons systems had lost power – the laser beam had damaged the power plant causing another automatic shut down to prevent overload. He only had emergency battery power which was just enough for life support.

Mentally cursing at his situation he looked out the windows for a moment – his sensor display was blank from lack of power so he only had his eyes to see what was happening outside. It was enough to see that his fellow Jaffa were being ripped to pieces by the small Terran craft the enemy craft were moving incredibly quickly and pulling manoeuvres that seemed well frankly insane. If he'd tried to pull some of the moves he could see the Terran craft using in his Glider the gee forces would have killed him as they'd be far beyond the ability of the inertial dampeners to cancel out. Watching the somewhat one sided clash he couldn't help but wonder if the craft were manned at all or if they were somekind of drone fighters similar to the defence drones used by Hebridan.

Fresh explosions in space brought his wandering attention back to the battle. The motherships had come into weapons range and had opened up with their rapid firing secondary gun arrays – targeting the Terran drones. Given the massive power behind the plasma bolts it only took a single hit to destroy a drone – its shields being too weak to take the firepower directed against the drone. _Just in time,_ he thought, _maybe some of my brothers will survive this battle now._

After a moment he sighed and leaned back in his seat. He had no means of joining the battle, he would just be an observer until the fight was over and one of the motherships could recover his disabled Glider. He didn't like it, sitting here unable to do anything while fellow Jaffa fought and died was a great dishonour. But there was nothing he could do about it, he could only watch and pray for all the lives that had and would be lost in the raging battle. There was nothing else to be done.

Nothing at all.

* * *

**Pel'tac**

**Lord Boreas Flagship**

**A Few Moments Earlier**

Sitting on his throne Lord Boreas scowled in displeasure as the tactical display showed his Glider force being sliced to ribbons by the drone fighters launched from the Terran outpost to intercept them. Despite the high ambient radiation flux from the star and the Terran ECM the ships sensors easily determined that the fighters were drones and he couldn't deny that they were very, very effective against Death Gliders. The mechanical nature of the drones gave them advantages that organic beings like Jaffa couldn't counter even with the gifts his kind had given the Jaffa when they'd created them, that combined with the admittedly impressively advanced level of Terran technology made the drones deadly to the Gliders and their Jaffa pilots.

"**Rel'nak how long until we enter weapons range?"** he asked in the normal booming Goa'uld voice.

"We will be within weapons range of the station in forty-five seconds, my lord," Rel'nak replied promptly. "We have entered weapons range of the battle with the Terran drone fighters. Secondary gun batteries are awaiting orders."

"**Excellent. Have all secondary batteries engage the enemy drone craft; I want them burned from the stars. Primary batteries and energy torpedoes lock onto the Terran space station."**

"As my lord commands," Rel'nak replied before relaying the orders to the relevant control areas on the ship via the main console. Half a second later a faint thrum of power ran through the deck as the mighty Shal'kra's secondary guns opened fire on the drone fighters – taking the pressure off the few surviving Death Gliders.

Observing the tactical display Boreas permitted himself a small smile as he observed the annoying drone fighters being burned from the sky by plasma fire. So far this battle with the Terrans had given him nothing but setbacks it felt good to be finally be striking back at them. Hopefully the battle would go a lot easier from now on but he wasn't about to expect it to, he was too experienced as a fleet commander to continue underestimating his adversary. While the Terrans were merely Humans he knew that even Humans could be dangerous – especially when they had access to advanced technology the way the Terrans, Tollan and a number of other worlds in this galaxy did. He'd already underestimated the stations defences once and it had cost him all the primary Glider squadrons and everyone of his Alkesh, he wasn't about to make that mistake again.

"My lord we are entering torpedo range of the space station," Rel'nak reported. "Cannon range in five more seconds. Torpedoes are locked on target."

"**Then it is time to teach the Terrans the folly of defying the will of their gods,"** Boreas replied with a small, evil smile **"open fire."**

* * *

For the second time since the battle for Sentry Station 29 had begun crackling masses of unstable charged particles encased in gravitic containment fields blasted forth from the torpedo banks of the Goa'uld motherships. Glowing with hellish silver-white light the salvo of twenty energy torpedoes streaked across space at seventy PSL and smashed into the same section of the shields surrounding the station with white hot force.

The shield around the station flashed brightly with cherenkov radiation as it dispersed the heat and energy of the blasts across its whole surface before radiating it back out into space. Shockwaves from the impact rippled through the station, rattling consoles, quantum processor chips, and power conduits while throwing standing crewmembers around like children's toys. Power throughout the station momentarily fluctuated as the EMP of the blast shot through the power grid momentarily disrupting the flow of energy from the antimatter and fusion cores before automatic systems countered the surge and restored an even flow of power.

* * *

**Operations Centre**

**Sentry Station 29**

Colonel Gerald McGrath bit back a groan of pain as he picked himself up from where he'd been hurled by the shockwave of the attack. His right arm and leg throbbed from where he'd hit the carbocreate reinforced nickel-iron floor of the operations centre but it didn't feel like anything was broken.

"Damage report," he ordered as he got his feat back under him.

"Shields holding," Lieutenant Jeremy Lions reported from tactical. "There was a minor power fluctuation in the power grid caused by the EMP but engineering has locked it down."

"For now," Lieutenant Philip Paricio added from his place at sensors. "Whatever those energy torpedo weapons are they pack a heck of a punch almost as much per torpedo as a Starwolf missile. The shields won't be able to withstand that kind of firepower for very long."

"I know, Phil," Gerald replied grimacing knowing that the ordinance trained Philip would know that even more than he did. The stations defence shields were designed to withstand fire more from energy weapons than missile and torpedo style weapons as the pirates and terrorists they'd been meant to defend against rarely used projectile weapons on starships. Abruptly another series of shudders ran through the station. "Those weren't torpedo hits," he commented.

"No alien ships are firing plasma bolts at us," Phil replied. "They must be firing from the very extreme of their range as the bolts are quite diffuse by the time they hit us, certainly there not powerful enough to do any major damage to the shields."

"Yes but if there in plasma cannon range they should be well within our own weapons range," Gerald replied grinning.

"Confirmed," Jeremy answered. "Alien capital ships are within optimum laser and fusion beam range. They're just within fusion blaster range as well but the pulses won't be very intense when they reach the alien ships if we start firing them now."

"Save the fusion blasters target beams only. Lock onto the closest alien ship," Gerald ordered as fresh plasma bolt strikes to the shields made their presence felt. _Those energy torpedoes of those must take time to build up another charge between salvos,_ he thought, _either that or the aliens prefer to use their plasma weapons to pound enemies apart for some reason._

"Weapons locked on target," Jeremy said bringing Gerald out of his thoughts as fresh salvos of plasma impacted the shields, rattling the station with increased violence as the range continued to close.

"Then its time we showed the aliens our own teeth," he replied "fire."

* * *

On the exterior of the station turrets and beam emitters rotated into position and locked onto one of the three Ha'tak-class motherships. Half a second later eight whitish red heavy laser beams and four luminous blue fusion beams erupted from the muzzles of the weapons.

Travelling at the speed of light the laser beams crossed the thousands of kilometres separating the station from her enemies first. The shield around the Ha'tak lit up with a luminous yellow-orange glow as the beams tore into it. Rippling distortion waves ran through the shield revealing the pseudo-crystalline structure of the force field as it worked to repel the intense beams of laser energy. Half a second later the slower moving but considerably more powerful fusion beams smashed into the Goa'uld ship, tearing at the shields with streams of superheated deuterium ions making the force field flare even brighter from the strain.

For four long seconds the beams continued to assault the shields causing generator temperatures on the Goa'uld vessel to spike as the shield fought to withstand the enormous power hammering it. Energy arced between the shields and the hull of the warship triggering small explosions as some of the shield emitters overloaded and blew out. Finally though the beams died away though the shields continued glowing fiercely as they slowly bled off the intense energy influx.

Unfortunately for the Goa'uld ship the assault was not over as less than two seconds later the laser assault resumed further putting strain on the shield, until with a brilliant flash of pyrotechnics the shields facing the sentry station gave way. The lasers instantly struck the hull and sections glowed cherry red as the beams of energy began melting through the thick trinium-naquada alloy of the warships armoured hide before shutting down once more. Fusion beams followed burning through the weakened armour to cut deep into the interior of the Goa'uld vessel eviscerating section after section on multiple decks and triggering a barrage of secondary explosions that spread the damage still further before the beams shut off.

Badly damaged the Ha'tak seemed to stagger in space, debris, radiation and blazing atmospheric gasses shooting out of the gashes sliced deep into the hull. Moments later the lasers and fusion beams resumed their assault slicing into the hull through the molten edged holes blown in the hull by the earlier assault. With little resistance the beams cut completely through the ship shooting out the other side even as fresh explosions erupted throughout the mothership.

The beam assault shut down once again and the Ha'tak slowly disintegrating from within and wracked with fires and explosions spun away. A moment later a second blue-white sun appeared in the system as the Ha'tak's heavily damaged naquada reactors overloaded and detonated with cataclysmic force. As the glow of the explosion faded nothing remained of the once proud vessel but a spreading, cooling plume of plasma and torn metal fragments.

* * *

**Pel'tac**

**Lord Boreas Flagship**

Sitting on his throne Boreas felt the mouth of his host open slightly as he gazed at the spinning debris plume that had mere moments earlier been one of the proudest Ha'tak's in his – in Poseidon's – fleet. Despite knowing how powerful Terran weapons were the speed with which the Ha'tak had been destroyed was still shocking and more than a little frightening. Especially as while considerably less advanced than Shal'kra-class vessels like his flagship Ha'tak's were still powerful warships that were not to be challenged lightly. To see one destroyed so easily was concerning and pointed to the Terrans being a power to be reckoned with.

He was jolted out of his stunned state by a violent vibration in the deck beneath his throne as three fierce red energy beams smashed into his flagships shields setting them aglow and violently shaking the ship.

"Shields holding my lord," Rel'nak reported as the beams faded away only for the ship to shudder again as one of the blue beams slammed into the shields. "Shields at ninety percent my lord, what are your orders?"

"**Resume firing upon the Terran station,"** Boreas ordered as another laser blast to the shields rattled the ship, prompting the Goa'uld fleet lord to frown as this battle was not going as well as he would have liked. **"Instruct all motherships to concentrate firepower on the same section of the stations shields, keep firing until the shields go down. As soon as their down have remaining Gliders strafe the station concentrating on disabling weapons arrays."**

"As my lord commands," Rel'nak acknowledged, staggering slighter as the ship rocked again as a pair of beams clawed at the motherships shields again. "Shields at seventy percent my lord," he reported even as he relayed Lord Boreas' orders to the other motherships. "All ships have acknowledged your orders my lord and await your command."

"**Open fire. Hit the Terrans with everything we have I want those shields down."**

* * *

Fresh volleys of whitish-gold heavy plasma bolts and silver-white energy torpedoes erupted from all three remaining Goa'uld warships. Being now well within the weapons ranges of all parties the torpedoes and plasma shots crossed the distance almost instantly and smashed into the same section of the shield surrounding the sentry station.

The shield around the station flared brilliantly with Cherenkov radiation as the barrage of fire from the Goa'uld tore into it. A cauliflower of plasma flame and energy erupted as torpedo after torpedo and plasma blast after plasma blast pounded the same sector of the shields again and again putting that segment of the shield grid under immense strain. Shockwaves from the intense bombardment rippled through the station throwing crewmembers around and rattling components while the strain on the shield caused shield generators and emitters to start heating up from the stress.

Laser beams, fusion beams and fusion blaster bolts slammed out from the stations defensive grid in retaliation pounding heavy firepower into the shields of all three Goa'uld motherships. The shields on all three motherships flared brilliantly and rippled with distortion waves and all three vessels were violently shaken by the retaliatory fire. Yet neither side back off both continued firing turning space between the ships and the station into a maelstrom of light and energy as both parties tried to disable the other before they themselves were disabled.

It was a race that the Goa'uld ships were always destined to win as the sentry station's defensive shields – while powerful – had never been withstand the kind of firepower capital warships could put out for long, being more optimised to withstand fire from pirate vessels which as a rule sacrificed some weapons capacity for additional cargo space. Several small explosions appeared on the rock and trinium surface of the space station as overloading shield emitters blew out and sent a ripple of secondary explosions through the local power grid as power conduits overloaded and ruptured.

The shield around the station flickered once more then a large section of the shield faded away to nothing allowing several heavy plasma bolts and a single energy torpedo to strike the station directly. Large eerily silent explosions of plasma flame, rampaging charged particles and molten trinium and rock erupted from the station tearing apart delicate exterior instrumentation, sensor arrays and weapons turrets, while simultaneously triggering a barrage of internal explosions as shockwaves – undiminished by the partial inertial dampening effects of shields – rippled through the whole of the station damaging multiple systems and giving birth to dozens of electrical and plasma fires.

One such internal explosion damaged both the primary and secondary containment field generators for the antimatter reactor that provided the station with the bulk of its power. Automatic systems in the stations main computer responded immediately – slamming down the cores control systems causing antimatter injection from the fuel rods to cease as well as closing plasma fuel lines from the fusion generators as the reactor went into an emergency scram to prevent a potentially catastrophic loss of antimatter containment. As the core shut down main power throughout the whole of Sentry Station 29 flickered and dropped to barely forty percent capacity as the whole of the stations power demands automatically shifted over to fusion generators.

Fire from the stations weapons emplacements ceased as power to the stations defence grid died – the fusion generators alone being insufficient to provide the network with the power it needed to function. What was left of the stations shield coverage also evaporated as the stations computer automatically diverted what little main power remained to essential functions such as life support and artificial gravity and those systems that insured the asteroid into which the station was built would remain in its orbit of the gas giant.

* * *

**Pel'tac**

**Lord Boreas Flagship**

"My lord the Terrans shields have failed," Rel'nak reported in a gleeful tone of a Jaffa who believed victory was now inevitable. "The jamming has also ceased, scanners are reporting massive power failure aboard the station. There weapons systems appear to be completely off line – their defenceless."

"**Excellent they will soon be ours. Are our boarding parties ready?"** Boreas asked keeping his own tone calm and collected he knew that victory was not assured yet. After all while the stations external defences had now been dealt with there were unknown internal defences to consider – along with the fact that the Terran military personal onboard that station were unlikely to give up without a fight.

"They are my lord."

"**Very good, tell them to launch. They'll proceed to board and secure the space station and Rel'nak make sure they know that I want prisoners."**

Rel'nak turned and bowed to his god. "As you wish my lord," he replied before turning back to the main console to relay Lord Boreas orders to the Jaffa on the boarding craft waiting to launch from the other three motherships towards the station. Acknowledgements of the commands came in immediately and he was about to turn to relay them to Lord Boreas when the sensors screamed an urgent warning. Turning his attention to the sensor readout's Rel'nak's eyes widened and he went pale with horror at what he saw.

"My lord sensors are picking up a hyperspace window opening twenty thousand kilometres off our starboard side," he reported as calmly as he could "multiple warships emerging, from the configuration and power signatures I believe them to be Terran."

"**How many ships,"** Boreas demanded a sense of despair abruptly falling on him like a smothering blanket. He knew his ships shields had been quite badly weakened by the battle – the tactical display confirmed that the shields were only at sixty percent capacity – they'd fought with the Terran space station, the shields on the Ha'tak's were probably even worse off given they couldn't mount the more advanced shielding systems a Shal'kra could. Even though the shields were starting to regenerate he realised that they were in no state to engage fully armed and operational Terran warships in battle.

Rel'nak swallowed nervously. "Twenty seven my lord," he reported as the console chimed at him again. "My lord we're receiving audio transmission from the Terran flagship."

"**On speakers,"** Boreas ordered already suspecting what the Terran commander was going to say, what he would say if he had such an overwhelming advantage in firepower over an adversary.

"Alien vessels," a female human voice ringing with authority and confidence said as the hidden overhead speakers came to life, "I am Rear Admiral Kristen Mabuto commanding officer of the _Victorious_ battle group. Your attack upon this station is an act of war against the Terran Federation, on the authority of the Federal Guard you are hereby ordered to stand down your vessels and prepare to be boarded. You will comply with this order or be destroyed. You have two minutes to make your decision."

"Terran vessels are targeting us my lord," Rel'nak reported grimly. "What is your will, my lord?"

"**We cannot allow the knowledge in this ships databanks to fall into Terran hands don't you agree?"** Boreas said with the calmness of someone who had accepted the inevitability of his death, though like all Goa'uld he feared what followed the termination of his mortal form. Unfortunately he couldn't say away out of this predicament, he couldn't run as the Terrans had more than enough firepower to turn his ship to plasma before they could jump to hyperspace and surrender was not really an option.

"I do my lord," Rel'nak replied without hesitation, being highly ranked among the Jaffa in service to Lord Poseidon he knew what would happen were this ship to be taken, how much damage the Terrans would be able to cause to his ultimate master should this vessels secrets fall into their hands. A glance at Lord Boreas showed that he knew it to, probably a lot more than Rel'nak himself did as Boreas was the fleet lord after all and a living god.

"**Then we have no choice. Send an encrypted subspace burst to the throne world informing Lord Poseidon of what happened here. Then instruct all motherships to target the closest Terran ships."**

"As my lord commands," Rel'nak replied as he prepared the message to Lord Poseidon informing him of what had happened here, though as a god Poseidon would likely already know what had taken place. In the message he included the location of the Terran station – it would be a good starting point from which to find the Terrans and finally punish them for their repeated acts of insolence against the gods.

It only took a moment to compose and send the message streaking through subspace towards the throne world. With that task accomplished Rel'nak relayed the orders of Lord Boreas to the other two surviving motherships, whose commanders – to their credit – did not balk at the orders. Like Rel'nak the Jaffa masters commanding those ships would know they were doomed and would be determined to meet their end with all the pride and dignity of a true Jaffa. They would die in the service of their god, which was the best death that any Jaffa warrior could hope for.

"My lord the other motherships report ready," Rel'nak reported as he directed the Jaffa at the flagships gunnery control stations to target one of the enemy cruisers.

"**Very well,"** Boreas responded as he closed his host's eyes and gave the final command of his millennia long life, **"fire."**

* * *

For the final time in the battle for Sentry Station 29 all three surviving Goa'uld motherships burst into violent life. Whitish-gold heavy plasma bolts, smaller and more numerous golden plasma bolts and the silver-white spheres of energy torpedoes erupted from their weapons arrays and streaked towards the overwhelming force of Terran warships that had come to the stations aid. The barrage of fire smashed into the shields of the group of four destroyers and a cruiser that formed the vanguard of the Terran battle formation, setting their shields aglow and shaking the ships – and the crews within them – but being to spread out across the five ships to inflict any real damage.

The response from the twenty seven destroyers, cruisers and carriers that made up the _Victorious_ carrier battle group was as spectacular as it was devastating. Whitish-red heavy laser beams, blue-green particle beams, red standard laser beams, luminous blue fusion beams and yellow-orange fusion blaster erupted from the weapons arrays of every single ship as they unleashed an alpha strike sufficient to tear a small moon apart.

Against the mere three Goa'uld ships the barrage was more than a touch of overkill.

The massive bombardment crashed upon the three ships like a tsunami on an unprotected shore. Shields flashed once as they futilely tried to deflect the maelstrom of destruction that washed over them, before giving way allowing the storm of energy and fusion plasma to smash into and through the armoured hulls as if they were eggshells and not super strong naquada-trinium alloys. An inferno of destruction flashed through the interior of the Goa'uld ships sweeping away bulkheads, Jaffa, slaves and Goa'uld as if they sandcastles before a raging sea.

As the barrage of energy ceased all three Goa'uld motherships erupted into massive fireballs as reactors, munitions and fuel all detonated at once tearing the once mighty ships apart. When the flashes of the motherships death explosions faded all that was left of the vessels and the thousands of sentients onboard them was a plume of cooling plasma, dust and torn metallic fragments that were no bigger than playing cards.

The battle for Sentry Station 29 was over.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Combat Information Centre

**TFS Victorious, That Same Time**

Standing before the main holographic situation table in the centre of CIC Rear Admiral Kristen Mabuto resisted the impulse to shake her head as she gazed upon the spreading cloud of cooling plasma, dust and torn metal that was all that remained of the alien warships. She didn't really understand what the alien commander had hoped to accomplish by firing at them they way he had, he had to have known he was massively outgunned and would be utterly annihilated by the return fire.

For a moment she thought about the briefing she'd read on the known character of the aliens. There belief in they're own divinity and the religious fundamentalism there followers seemed to have would go someway to explaining the alien commanders actions. From the point of view of a fanatic nothing was more preferable or desirable that to die while striking at the enemy. Doing so was the sure way to achieve martyrdom in there eyes. _I hate dealing with fanatics,_ she thought, _especially when they give me no choice but to either kill them with my own hands, order others to kill them or have there ships burnt from the stars. It always feels like they've won somehow when they make me do that or give such orders._

"Admiral we're receiving messages from the other ships," one of the communications reported bringing her out of her unpleasant thoughts on the unpleasant nature of fanatics, "there requesting instructions."

"Understood," Kristen replied looking at the officer. "Order all ships to stand down from battle stations and go to yellow alert. Have them spread out and begin sweeping the area for any sign of surviving alien forces, if they find any they are to report it immediately."

"Aye ma'am," the officer replied.

"Sensors scan the sentry station I want to know there status."

"Aye ma'am," one of the officers manning the sensors reported, hands dancing over her console as she instructed the computer to turn the powerful main sensor arrays of the Pandora-class heavy carrier on the damaged sentry station.

"Admiral," another officer reported from one of the secondary sensor stations. "We're detecting a small craft in a very low orbit of the gas giant. It's composed of the same materials as what made up the hulls of the alien capital ships. From the size I believe it to be a fighter."

Kristen raised an eyebrow as she turned in place to look at the officer in question. "Show me," she instructed before turning her attention back to the holographic display. The display shimmered for a moment then changed from the view of the spreading debris plumes to a closer view of the gas giant.

There silhouetted against the turbulent white, ochre and brown clouds of the planet was an alien fighter craft. To Kristen's eyes it was a bizarre design with an oval shaped main body from which two bat-like wings emerged before curving a little towards the front of the craft. Two stubby weapons emerged from the hull on either side of the central hull and from what she could see on the display they didn't look to be turreted like the under wing fusion blasters were on a Jaguar-class fighter.

"The enemy fighter appears to be adrift," the officer who'd initially alerted her to the fighter's presence continued as she examined the display, "there is extensive laser damage to its rear section and its main power source appears to be offline. However there is some emergency power present and the cockpit module still has atmosphere – one life sign aboard."

"Is the fighter in tractor beam range?"

"It is ma'am."

"Excellent. Tactical grab that ship in a tractor beam and bring it into the upper port side hanger deck, have a marine unit waiting for it. Have them wear full combat armour as opposed to light battle uniform there has been enough death here today – I don't want anymore, as for the alien pilot detain him and convey him to the brig, command will send someone to interrogate him later."

"Aye ma'am."

"Admiral the scans of the sentry station have been completed."

"What's there status?" Kristen asked as the display changed again to show the sentry stations. Even a cursory glance confirmed that the station was badly damaged – a significant number of the complex projections and domes that covered the surface of the asteroid had been destroyed – reduced to blackened stumps or missing altogether. New craters had been blown into the thick trinium-reinforced nickel iron exterior of the station and small globules of flash frozen rock and trinium – that had once been part of the station – slowly moved away from the asteroid, propelled by the inertia imparted when alien plasma weapons fire had blown them away from the main body of the repurposed space rock.

"The station has sustained massive damage," the reporting officer said his voice sombre as he knew that a great many of there fellow guardsman and women would be dead or seriously wounded aboard the station. "Roughly thirty percent of external structures have been sheered off or blown away. Collateral damage in all outer compartments. The main antimatter reactor appears to have scrammed, the station is functioning on fusion generators only and there output is dropping by point zero, zero six of a percent every minute.

"The stations orbital control systems also appear to be damaged, its orbit is slowly decaying. Computer estimates that at its current rate of orbital degeneration the station will enter the upper atmosphere of the gas giant within twelve hours."

"Anyone still alive over there?"

"We are picking up life signs on the station, ma'am. However there is too much radiation from the star and the battle flying around to be able to tell what state they're in."

"Are any of the external docking ports still intact?"

"Yes ma'am. Two of the lower docking ports near the engineering areas at the base of the station are intact."

"Then we have a chance to save the people on board. Communications instruct the destroyers _Orinoco_ and _Rubicon_ to move in and dock with the station. There orders are to commence search and rescue operations, once they've got the survivors off retrieve the bodies of the dead and the stations logs."

"Aye ma'am."

As the CIC personnel moved to carry out the tasks that she'd just assigned them Kirsten turned her attention back to the hologram of the station. Given the assault it had to have endured from the aliens it was amazing that it was as intact as it was and she could think of only one reason for that. The aliens hadn't wanted to destroy the station; instead they'd wanted to capture it presumably to get at its databanks. _High Command and SOID are right,_ she thought, _the aliens are looking for us. They were stopped this time but what about next time? We may have blasted the warships to space dust this time but what about next time. There looking for us, it's only a matter of time before we encounter each other again and next time they might strike at a colony and not a military outpost. If that happens the civilian casualties could be… horrific especially as these aliens have already shown that they have no interest in diplomacy or the rules of war when they killed Ambassador Trainer and destroyed __Crystal Dove__. Who's to say they wouldn't resort to blasting a planet from space prior to an invasion?_

Kristen shivered at the thought of the aliens attacking a civilian world. Such a horror could not be allowed to occur – not again. The Federal Guard had failed in its duty to prevent that during the A.I War and hundreds of millions had died when four worlds had been burnt to glass by the machines. The possibility that it could happen again, at the hands of aliens with delusions of godhood this time instead of sentient robots, was horrifying. _No we won't let it happen, not again,_ she thought, _and if stopping it means going to war with whoever these aliens are then so be it._

Pushing aside the thoughts of the potential war with the aliens – a war that was looking increasingly likely to erupt as the unprovoked attack on the sentry station would enrage the senate – she forced herself to focus on there here and now. And on the plight of the survivors of the attack, stuck on a station that was on a trajectory that would soon bring about its destruction. _Hang on people we'll get you out of there,_ she thought, _then once SOID's stealth cruisers find wherever the aliens came from we'll make them pay for what they've done here today._

* * *

**Crippled Goa'uld Glider**

**A Few Minutes Earlier**

From his position in the cockpit of his crippled craft Va'tan had had a commanding view of the brief battle between the Ha'tak's, Lord Boreas' Shal'kra and the Terran warships that had arrived in response to the attack on the station. It hadn't really been a battle but a one sided slaughter. The display of firepower that the Terrans had put out in retaliation for being fired at had been both absolutely awe inspiring and terrifying. He'd seen alpha strikes before – most Jaffa who served on motherships as pilots or crew saw them at some point as the false gods incessantly warred with one another – but nothing he'd seen had prepared him for that display of raw destructive power. Power that had swatted three top-of-the-line Goa'uld warships from the sky as if they'd been mere toys.

Seeing the three ships explode filled him not with rage as he would have expected, instead it only brought a profound sense of sorrow. Not for Lord Boreas – his death was justice for all those he'd harmed since he'd first taken a host – but for those brothers who'd joined him in embracing oblivion. Though most of his fellow Jaffa onboard those ships had been blind and mindlessly loyal to the Goa'uld, believing the lie of Goa'uld divinity they'd still been his brothers. Brothers whose loss he mourned.

Closing his eyes he began to slowly utter a prayer of mourning, a prayer that would speed the souls of his brothers and the innocent human slaves who'd died with them onto the next world. A world where they would not know the slavery or cruelty of the Goa'uld but where they would be free for all eternity. He had no such prayer for Boreas; instead he hoped that the Fleet Lords soul – if he even had one – spent the rest of eternity in torment. It wouldn't really address all the evils his foul kind had perpetrated over the last few millennia but it would be a start.

Abruptly the Gilder shook as though something had struck it, the violent jolt making Va'tan snap his eyes open as the words of the prayer died on his lips. A strange humming sound filled the cockpit and for a moment he thought his crippled engines had somehow, miraculously started up again until he realised that the sound had completely the wrong pitch and there was no vibration to indicate that the Glider was under power. A quick glance out the cockpit canopy however showed that despite being unpowered the Glider was moving. Something else, some powerful but invisible force had grabbed his craft and was pulling it out of the orbit it had been stuck in by the gravity well, up away from the planet and towards the largest of the Terran warships.

A check of his few functional sensors revealed the answer to what was pulling his craft – the Glider had been enveloped by some sort of gravitational/magnetic force beam being projected by the massive warship. The pull of the beam was extremely powerful and Va'tan didn't doubt that he wouldn't have been able to break free of it even if the Gliders engine had been working, the grip of the magnetic and gravitic forces on the small attack craft was just to strong, to attempt to break away from the beam would have been futile and only led to extreme sheering forces tearing the Gilder – and himself – apart.

As the Glider was pulled closer and closer to the warship Va'tan realised that he didn't really want to die, not now that an opportunity to help his people had been dropped in his lap. There was no denying the fact that the Terrans were an advanced species and wielded considerable technological and military power. Maybe with a little bit of luck and with a great deal of patience he might be able to convince them to help the Jaffa to throw off the yolk of the Goa'uld which would only benefit them. It would take time, he knew that but he hoped he would be able to pull it off – assuming of course he survived the interrogation he was bound to be subjected to.

Looking resolutely through the canopy he noticed that he was now very close to the great warship. So close that it seemed to completely fill space ahead of him – instead of stars all he saw was a wall of dull brownish-grey armour, lines of light marking some of the ships central decks and weapons emplacements. Abruptly a line of light appeared on a large section of the hull directly ahead of him, the line widened as the doors of a hanger bay opened.

Another jolt ran through the Glider prompting him to glance at the sensor display again. The gravitational/magnetic force beam that had his craft in its irresistible power had changed angle and now seemed to be coming from inside the opened hanger bay doors as opposed to a point on the ships hull. He looked back up from the sensor display just as the Glider reached the hanger bay doors and a brilliant purple tinged flash momentarily filled the cockpit as it passed through an atmospheric containment field.

Blinking rapidly to clear the after image from his eyes Va'tan kept his gaze focused out the windows as his crippled craft travelled down a metal tunnel whose only features were bright strips of light and doors that looked like they could close. The HUD fitted over his right eye confirmed that behind him previously opened doors were closing – clearly the hanger bays on this class of Terran warship was heavily protected by armoured bulkhead doors. It made sense as like most Jaffa who served on ships he was well aware that the hanger bays were weaknesses in a starships design – ones that could be exploited to cause severe damage from fires and secondary explosions if you hit them. Adding additional layers of protection prevented someone from exploiting that weakness.

After what seemed like an eternity – but was probably only a few seconds at most – the tunnel gave way to a cavernous internal space. The deck was huge, if he had to guess Va'tan would have said that the deck ran near continuously down a large part of the ships length. It certainly seemed to transcend a number of decks as platforms and balconies ascended for two decks above his head and another two below him. Many of the pedestals had craft sitting on them, some of which were clearly fighters – they were sleek delta-winged craft with weapons slung on turret mounts near the underside edges of their wings and another weapon recessed into the nose. Now that he thought about it Va'tan could remember seeing a few of them flying by outside – maintaining a patrol around the Terran fleet – though those had had something else slung under there wings as well, some kind of pods. Though what purpose the pods served and why the docked ones didn't have them he had absolutely no idea.

He didn't have much chance to think about it as he became aware that the Glider was descending, towards one of the unoccupied platforms. Even from here Va'tan could see the welcoming committee of Terran soldiers waiting to greet him – several stood at one end of the platform while a dozen more stood on the balcony on either side. All of them were dressed in armour and all were armed, most appeared to be carrying the powerful plasma rifles he'd heard about from those Jaffa that had survived combat with the Terrans on the surface of Sakana. But a few – mostly those on the balconies – were armed with larger weapons, weapons that were pointed right at his Glider. Va'tan didn't want to think about what they could be and how easily they could probably destroy his crippled craft.

The Glider was set down with a jolt and the sensor suite gave a small chime alerting Va'tan that the force beam had disengaged but that a force field dome had now been activated around the platform – a force field that would no doubt have prevented him taking off even if he had engine power. With no other options open to him beyond possibly activating the Glider's self destruct charge – something he didn't want to do as he could hardly make allies of the Terrans if he got blew himself and them to space dust – Va'tan powered down those few systems that still had some power, before pressing the control that made the cockpit canopy retract into the main fuselage.

Cautiously, nervously as he had no idea what to expect from the powerful Terrans, he stood up and raised his hands above his head in the universal gesture for surrender. He kept his eyes focused on the armoured soldiers as they came forward keeping the blank muzzles of there weapons focused on his torso.

One of the Terrans spoke and the voice while filtered by the helmet of its armour was distinctly male though Va'tan didn't understand the words as they naturally weren't in any dialect of Goa'uld or any other language that he was familiar with. Fortunately the armoured human used the muzzle of his weapon to indicate that he wanted him to get out of the Glider. Cautiously to appear non-aggressive Va'tan did as he was bid and as his boots touched the metallic alloy deck of the landing platform the Terran spoke again – this time using a hand to indicate that he wanted Va'tan to turn and lean against the side of the Glider.

Confused but knowing he was hardly in a position to ask questions - even if the Terrans had been able to understand Goa'uld – Va'tan again did as he was instructed. He turned and pressed himself against the side of his crippled craft and immediately heard the rhythmic pounding of booted feet on metal as the Terrans approached him. After a moment he felt a hand grab his left arm and pull it behind the small of his back before feeling something metallic slip around the wrist of that arm, his other arm was subjected to the same treatment almost immediately. Then he felt his zat'nik'atel and knife be taken from him before three objects were placed against his skin – one against the bare skin at the nape of his neck, the other two behind his ears.

"You should be able to understand me now," the Terran said and this time Va'tan clearly heard Goa'uld words.

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Good. Stand up straight and turn to face me." Va'tan did as he was instructed and watched as the Terran helmet retracted down into the collar of his armour revealing a square jawed human face with very light brown skin, vivid green eyes and short cropped black hair.

"As of this moment you are now a prisoner of the Terran Federation," the alien said. "You will be confined in a holding cell aboard this vessel until such time as you can be transferred to appropriate authorities. If you don't resist you will be treated well and afforded considerable privileges, resist and you will still be treated fairly however things will get more unpleasant do you understand?"

"I understand," Va'tan replied, "I won't resist."

"Good for you," the Terran answered before gesturing with his rifle, "move."

Va'tan nodded and began moving in the direction the soldier had indicated, moving off the platform onto the balcony. As he did so most of the soldiers who'd met him fell into formation before and around him, ensuring he wouldn't be able to escape even if he had the intention of doing so. For a moment he was offended that they would question his honour as a warrior, he had given his word that he wouldn't try resist them – which included trying to escape. But then the rage subsided to be replaced with a sense of shame, in all there encounters with the Terrans the Jaffa had not really given the previously unknown but very technologically advanced humans any sense that they had a sense of honour.

Instead he wouldn't be surprised if the Terrans thought of the Jaffa as violent savages who'd attacked them without any warning and with no provocation. Everything he'd heard from fellow Jaffa told him that the Terrans had actually tried to talk to them when they'd met the first patrol on Sakana – only to be promptly fired at as new enemies of Lord Poseidon. _No wonder they don't trust me. That's something I'm going to have to change,_ he thought, _when they interrogate me I'll have to tell them the truth of the Jaffa and make them understand that we are as much slaves to the Goa'uld as the uncounted numbers of humans spread out across this galaxy._

He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed when they came to a door and turned off the balcony. If one of the Terrans hadn't tapped him in the back with his/her rifle he certainly would have just kept on walking straight ahead.

"This way," the human said in a voice that was clearly female.

"My apologies," Va'tan replied as he turned in the direction he was bid and continued following the Terrans as they passed through some thick armoured doors and into the rest of the warship and his inevitable captivity.

* * *

**TFSC Cheyenne**

**That Same Time**

Commander Alan Lorne frowned thoughtfully as he studied the analysis of the latest long range scans on the holographic screen floating a few feet in front of his face. For the last week the _Cheyenne_ and three other stealth cruisers _Yupik, Kaska _and _Sekani_ had been carefully sweeping space beyond the claimed borders of the Terran Federation, searching for any sign of the aliens that had in the last month been responsible for thousands of Terran deaths amongst them civilian scientists and an ambassador.

Unfortunately there had been no sign of them or anything else that would indicate a high technology civilisation capable of interstellar travel. No subspace transmissions, no ships in hyperspace nothing beyond the normal background noise of space. The only thing there sensors were picking up were odd disturbances in subspace – disturbances that lasted anywhere from one or two minutes to thirty eight minutes but no more. The disturbances were very regular with the distinctive phase displacement trail of a wormhole but without any of the normal quantum or radiation flux readings that indicated a wormhole tunnel was present in that part of the multidimensional ether that was subspace. The disturbances also matched the phase displacement signature of the phenomenon that the _Railion's_ sensors had recorded on the surface of the planet where they'd first encountered the aliens, the signature that had come from an unknown object that the aliens had somehow used to send additional troops to the planet without needing to use a ship. Whatever it was the technology was one hell of a tactical advantage and one the Federal Guard would have to learn to understand if they wanted to combat it, especially given how close to war they were with the aliens.

Studying the analysis of the phenomenon floating in front of him Alan's frown deepened as he tried to figure out exactly what he was looking at. From Commander Larsen's report he knew it had to be somekind of mass transport system that wasn't dependent on costly starships to work but how exactly did it work? Though he was no scientist Alan was an intelligent man and he was stumped by what he was seeing. He wasn't the only one as he knew his science officers were as well as were the science officers on the other three stealth cruisers – according to his last conference with the other commanders the scientists were practically pulling there hair out trying to figure it out. _Maybe they'll know something when we meet up again in two days,_ he thought as to cover more ground the four Phantom-class cruisers had split up and moved to different sectors to do there scans, they met up every few days to share information and determine the next region to scan, _if not we'll just send these readings to command and let them take a look at it._

The sudden bleeping and vibration of the comm. around his right wrist drew his attention away from the conundrum on the holographic screen. _Now what,_ he thought as he raised the offending device and answered the hail.

"Yes?"

"Sorry to disturb you sir but our long range sensors have picked up a ship in hyperspace approaching our location," his first officer Colonel Adrian Preston reported from his location on the bridge.

Alan frowned. "Can you identify it," he asked.

"Yes sir, the phase variance matches that of the alien vessels. However the ship is much smaller than any alien hyperspace capable craft we've seen before – it's close in size of the Nautilus-class scouts that are sometimes attached to exploration ships and battle groups."

Alan smiled slightly. If he was right then the craft they were picking up was certainly an alien scoutship – such craft were lightly armed, if armed at all, and very lightly shielded. Scoutships depended on stealth to escape detection and speed to get away if they were detected. One coming here to this system presented them with an opportunity to gather more information about there enemy, information that would be very valuable if war did indeed erupt with the aliens.

"How long until the scoutship arrives," he asked keeping his voice calm so none of his inner excitement showed.

"We estimate there ETA at six minutes sir," Adrian answered a hint of excitement beginning to show as he realised what his commanding officer was planning to do. "Based on the hyperspace vector of the craft they'll return to normal space near the orbit of the forth planet."

"Excellent. Call all personnel to battle stations. Engage our stealth systems and plot a course to intercept the alien ship, we're going to capture them when they arrive," Alan ordered. "Have our Black Falcon unit stand by to board and secure the alien craft as soon as she's captured. I'll be on the bridge shortly."

"Aye sir," Adrian replied before singing off. Alan lowered his wristcomm before saving and closing the file he'd been reading, making the holographic screen vanish as if it had never been present at all. Then he carefully stood up and moved around his desk even as alarms began to sound throughout the eight hundred and twenty metre length of the _Cheyenne_. The atonal wail of the battle stations klaxon sending the cruisers seven hundred and fifty crewmembers out of there bunks, from the mess hall and recreation decks scrambling to get to their battle stations. Picking up his uniform jacket from where he'd left it on the back of a chair; Alan slipped it on before leaving his quarters – joining the organised chaos of the crew preparing the ship for battle.

* * *

Had anyone been watching the _Cheyenne_ at that moment they would have seen the space around the long, slender delta-shaped hull of the Phantom-class ship ripple with an optical distortion wave. Then the cruiser – already hard to spot against the blackness of space due to its dark coloured hull – vanished from both the naked eye and all known scanners as the cruisers sophisticated cloaking mechanism engaged.

Silent and as invisible as the mythical apparition that her class had been named after the _Cheyenne_ began to move in system, on an intercept course with the projected hyperspace emergence point of the alien scoutship – a scoutship that the crew would hope wouldn't know they were there.

Not until it was to late.

* * *

**Tok'ra Tel'tac**

**A Few Minutes Later**

Sitting in the pilot's seat of the modified Tel'tac Anise smiled slightly as she observed that they were coming up upon there next set of destination coordinates. She and Selmak had been searching for the mysterious new humans who'd clashed with Poseidon's forces over Sakana for just over a fortnight now. So far they had found nothing, no sign of whoever the newcomers were – though Anise privately clung to the belief that they were likely the modern, technologically advanced people of the first world, a world lost to the Goa'uld and Tok'ra for so long that its very name had become a legend.

A world that if her hypothesis was right would be located somewhere in the sectors they were now entering. Sectors that had once been ruled by Ra but which had been abandoned by Goa'uld and Tok'ra alike for thousands of years; which was more than enough time for a human world to make the transition from primitive agrarian to possessing highly advanced technology capable of interstellar travel.

"_Do you really think we'll find anything this time, Anise?"_ Kaira asked the symbiote that had shared her body for the last two years.

"_**I don't know, Kaira,**_**" **Anise answered her host honestly, _**"but we are coming into sectors of space that no Goa'uld or Tok'ra have entered in eight millennia. If I am right and these new humans are Tau'ri then there worlds would likely be located in this area. Its hard to be sure as records from that era are poor at best."**_

"_Especially as the System Lords suppressed information about the Tau'ri after the revolt drove them away," _Kaira agreed as they'd talked about the history of the Tau'ri revolt and its affects on the galaxy quite a lot over recent weeks. _"The last thing they would want would be for news of it to spread across the galaxy and possibly encourage other enslaved worlds to rise up against the 'gods'"_

"_**Precisely, hence why the records were largely wiped by Ra himself."**_

A crystalline sounding chirp from the control console but a stop to Anise discussion with her host and made her turn her full attention back to the control orb she was holding. The sound of footsteps approaching, then the sound of someone sitting down in the co-pilots chair informed her that Selmak had joined her.

"**We're coming up on our destination coordinates," **Anise said calmly as she prepared to drop the Tel'tac back into normal space and power down the hyperdrive so they could transfer additional energy to sensors.

Selmak nodded as he prepared to sensors and initiate the power shunt from hyperdrive to scanners. **"Sensors are ready."**

"**Dropping out of hyperspace, now," **Anise commented as she gave the command to the console. Outside the front view ports the normal purple-blue tunnel produced by a Goa'uld-style hyperdrive flashed and vanished to be replaced by the star sprinkled darkness of normal space. For a moment the stars were nothing but a blur of colour as hyperspace inertia carried the ship forward at tremendous sublight speeds, though after a moment the blur resolved as the sublight engines automatically slowed the ship down to a safe normal space transit speed.

"**Normal space reversion complete. Powering down hyperdrives and transferring energy to sensors."**

"**Beginning preliminary scans," **Selmak added as his console reported that additional power was now flowing into the sensor systems increasing both range and scan resolution prompting him to give the command to start the familiar routine of sensor sweeps. **"We should have preliminary results in approximately two minutes."**

"**Think we will find anything this time," **Anise asked mirroring the question Kaira had already asked her.

"**I don't know but I hope so,"** Selmak replied. **"This search is getting somewhat tedious. It's easy to forget just how vast space actually is unless you're looking for one specific thing."**

Anise nodded in agreement and was about to reply when the short range sensors came to life, screaming an urgent warning. Simultaneously the holographic HUD blinked into existence above the control consoles revealing a distortion field directly ahead and a few degree's above the Tel'tac's central axis. A distortion field that rapidly revealed its nature as a cloaking field as it shimmered away, revealing a large, menacingly black ship floating in space directly ahead of them.

"**Who are they," **Anise wondered.

"**I don't know," **Selmak replied checking the sensors. **"However the energy signature matches the energy signatures we observed from the ships over Sakana."**

**"We've found them or should I say they've found us," **Anise commented a moment before the sensors screamed again – a moment before a point on the unknown warships hull flashed and a brilliant yellow-orange bolt of energy shot towards them – skimming past the hull by a scant few metres, close enough for the energy wake of the bolt to rattle the Tel'tac but not hard enough to cause any damage.

"**That missed our hull by less than five metres," **Anise said as she checked the proximity sensors. **"If it had hit use full on we would have not withstood the blast."**

"**A not very subtle warning shot," **Selmak answered knowingly as the pilots console chirped again.

"**Incoming message," **Anise reported before pressing a command on the console to put the message through while piping it through the translation systems as well. A moment later the hidden speakers crackled and a powerful, male human voice spoke.

"Alien vessel this is Commander Alan Lorne, commanding officer of the Terran Federation stealth cruiser _Cheyenne_," he said, "your ship is at our mercy. On the authority of the Federal Guard you are directed to stand down and prepare to be boarded. You will comply with this order or be destroyed."

"**Open a channel with him," **Selmak ordered and Anise nodded, making the HUD change to show the face and upper torso of a human male with brown hair and eyes and possessing a powerful, muscular build that his black and grey uniform did little to hide.

"**Commander Lorne I am Councillor Selmak of the Tok'ra,"** Selmak said in greeting, **"there is no need to threaten us; we will comply with your request to allow boarding."**

The Terran officer raised an eyebrow. "Just like that," he asked seemingly taken aback, "you certainly seem different from the last of your kind we encountered."

Selmak smiled slightly. **"That is because I am not a Goa'uld like 'Lady' Amphitrite," **he explained. **"Both myself and my companion, Anise, have no desire to be worshipped or treated like a god in anyway. In fact we've been trying to find you ever since your peoples encounter with Poseidon's forces at Sakana."**

"I see," Lorne replied. "Why have you been trying to find us?"

Selmak paused to consider how to answer for a moment. When this mission had been ordered by the Tok'ra High Council it had been intended purely as an intelligence gathering operation to find out who the newcomers who'd so decisively pounded Poseidon's space forces at Sakana were and if they were right in that they were descendants of the long lost Tau'ri. They had not really meant for contact to be made with them – with the Terrans as the Tau'ri possibly called themselves no – at this current time.

However it appeared fate, the universe or some random ascended being had decided that they were going to meet now. There was no choice after all, it was either try to make diplomatic contact with the Terrans or be taken as prisoners. Escape certainly wasn't an option as Selmak didn't doubt that Commander Lorne would carry out his treat to blast the Tel'tac out of the sky if they tried to run.

After a moment thinking about what to say he decided he might as well tell the human the truth. **"Initially the High Council of the Tok'ra was curious about you," **he admitted, **"the ease with which your ships defeated both 'Lady' Amphitrite and 'Lord' Deimos and your use of non-standard technology piqued our interest."**

"And now?"

"**Now I believe it important that we speak," **Selmak replied, **"while your people do seem to be technologically considerably more advanced than most human groups in this galaxy you have made a very dangerous enemy in the Goa'uld System Lords. My and my companion can provide you with considerable tactical, strategic and cultural information on them and the state of the galaxy in general."**

"What's the catch?"

"**No catch, all we ask in return for providing this information is your friendship."**

On the communications screen Commander Lorne frowned thoughtfully and Selmak could tell that the human commander was trying to decide if he could trust them or not. Selmak wouldn't blame him if he decided not to trust them and take them prisoner; they'd already been informed by encrypted subspace communication with Tok'ra operatives in Poseidon's court that the Terrans had tried to talk diplomatically with Amphitrite. Only for Amphitrite to destroy the ambassador's ship, killing everyone on board in cold blood when they'd refused to bow down to her authority as a living goddess. Given the fact that Tok'ra and Goa'uld were the same race – though neither really liked to admit it – he wouldn't be surprised if they ended up being taken as prisoners and transported to the Terran homeworld for interrogation.

After a couple of tense moments of silence the Terran seemed to make up his mind. "Very well," Lorne said at last. "We accept your offer. We will bring you aboard this ship and you will be treated as our honoured guests. However if you attempt to cross us or betray us in anyway…" he let his voice trail off the silent threat hanging ominously in the air.

Selmak nodded. **"We understand, commander," **he said, **"thank you for trusting me."**

"Just make sure I don't regret it," the Terran replied before breaking the communications link between there ships from his side. The holographic HUD returned just as the Tel'tac gave a sudden jerk.

"**The Terran ship has just locked a tractor beam on us," **Anise reported.

"**Shut down the engines," **Selmak instructed her. **"Let the Terrans take us aboard."**

Anise nodded and disengaged the sublight engines which immediately resulted in the Tel'tac beginning to be pulled towards the Terran stealth cruiser. As the power to the engines died she looked over at Selmak.

"**Are you sure this is the right thing to do, Selmak?"** she asked in concern. **"The High Council was quite clear that they didn't want to make contact with the Terrans yet."**

"**I know and if there was any other way I wouldn't have made the offer I did," **Selmak replied. **"Unfortunately there is no other option, it was either resort to formal diplomatic contact or be taken prisoner. Trying to escape was certainly not an option, the Terran ship would have easily been able to destroy us long before we could cloak or escape into hyperspace.**

"**And this way we have the possibility of making an alliance with the Terrans or at least come to an understanding with them while providing them with information on the nature of the Goa'uld. Information that they are going to need if they are going to survive," **he concluded.

Anise nodded. **"I understand and I agree. As I said during the High Council meeting the Terrans are obviously a very powerful race with formidable military capabilities," **she replied. **"Making an alliance with them, or at least laying the foundation for one can only be a good thing for the Tok'ra. I just hope the High Council agrees with you when we see them again."**

"**So do I Anise, so do I."**


	13. Chapter 13

_**Stargate: New Frontier**_

Authors Note: Hi everyone sorry it has been so long since I updated this fic but I've had terrible writers block with it. I would like to personally thank bob regent for acting as an idea sounding board, it really helped me break the block on this. Thanks mate.

* * *

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

**Situation Room **

**Federal Guard High Command **

**Geneva, Terra**

"What's the status of the Sentry Station," President Kieran Denson asked as he sat at the head of the conference table that dominated the heart of the Federal Guard's main situation room buried several hundred metres beneath the gleaming high tech metropolis of the Federation's capital city. His appearance was unusually unkempt, his hair ruffled and with stubble on his jaw – but then he had been roused out of bed in the middle of the night and been told that Sentry Station 29 was under heavy attack by a squadron of alien warships. With such an emergency to deal with there hadn't been time to make himself presentable, instead he'd quickly thrown on some clothes and accompanied as always by his bodyguards practically ran from the presidential apartments to the situation room buried several hundred metres beneath Geneva.

"Its bad mister president," Fleet Admiral Svetlana Kermanova replied grimly. "The only good news is that four alien warships that attacked the station have been destroyed, one by the stations defensive grid and the other three by the _Victorious_ and the other ships in her battle group. But the damage has already been done."

"How bad is it, admiral?"

"We don't have a full damage and casualty report from the _Victorious_ yet Admiral Mabuto is rightly concentrating her full attention on evacuating the station. However we do know the station is doomed the concussion from the alien weapons hitting the station has destabilised its orbit. The systems that normally maintain the stations orbit have been either disabled or destroyed; without them to correct the destabilisation it's falling into the gas giant. Within a few hours it will be no more."

"Can nothing be done," Kieran asked.

"I'm afraid not, Mr President."

"Could the task force combine there tractor beams and pull the station back into a stable orbit," Security Minister Henri Jenon asked looking as rumpled as the president, but then he to had been roused out of bed to respond to the sudden crisis.

Svetlana shook her head. "I'm afraid not minister," she replied before explaining. "Sentry Station 29 is built inside and around a twelve and a half kilometre wide nickel-iron asteroid. It masses literally tens of millions of tons of rock and refined metal alloys. Even if the ships Admiral Mabuto has combined all there power and pushed the tractor beam arrays passed acceptable safety margins they would not be able to overcome inertia and gravity enough to pull it back into a stable orbit. The station is just too big and masses too much.

"The only way to save the station would be to somehow restore power to the stations orbital maintenance and adjustment systems. That would restore the ability to create a strong enough anti-gravitic field around the station to counter inertia and the gravity of the planet and allow the stations control thrusters to manoeuvre it back into a safe and stable orbit. Unfortunately the stations main antimatter reactor has scrammed due to the loss of containment field generators and initial reports indicate that the main power grid has suffered extensive damage that is too severe to quickly repair or even temporarily patch up. There is no way we'll be able to restore main power in time to save the station."

"That is not good," Jenon commented with a worried frown. "The loss of the station is going to open quite a large gap in our surveillance network. It won't take the better organised pirate bands, mercenary and other unsavoury groups long to find out about the gap and move to exploit it."

"We can cover the gap with increased patrols until such time as a replacement for Sentry Station 29 can be constructed," Admiral James Prescott head of the Special Operations and Intelligence Directorate said leaning forward a moment. "However that is not what concerns me. The aliens who attacked the station are the same ones who attacked the _Charles Darwin_ and murdered Ambassador Trainer when he attempted to make peaceful contact with them.

"Until now our best defence against them is they didn't know where we were, now that they've found one of our border sentry stations that defence is very shaky at best. The aliens now have a point of reference to work from and it wouldn't take them long to find one of our outer colonies from there. Given the observed aggression and intolerance of anything different shown by the aliens if that were to happen then…" he let his voice go quiet before he completed the thought.

He didn't really need to as everyone was aware of the horror that could unfold if the aliens discovered a colony. While it was true that all colony worlds had orbital defence systems they were designed more to repel pirates, mercs and attacks by terrorist groups than to repel a full scale military offensive by a force as heavily armed as the aliens seemed to be. It certainly wouldn't take long for an alien attack force to break through the standard orbital defence systems and begin landing troops on the colony or worse glassing it from orbit.

"So what do we do about it," Jenon asked breaking the ominous silence that had descended upon the conference room.

"For a start we could increase the frequency and size of our security patrols," Svetlana replied "as well as station full battle groups in a number of strategic locations where they could respond quickly to any hostile alien incursion. We do also have stockpiles of additional sentry drones and orbital defence mines; we could begin deploying them over all colonies facing the aliens most likely axis of attack however doing so will deplete our stores."

"Do it," Denson instructed.

"Yes sir," Svetlana acknowledged using her implant to make a note of the order so she could issue the appropriate orders as soon as this meeting was completed.

"It's going to be very visible," Jenon pointed out with a concerned frown. "On top of the fact that the media will quickly notice the gap in our security coverage caused by the loss of the station it could cause a panic."

"The people already know something is going on," Admiral Prescott said joining the conversation again. "Ever since we first dispatched the _Railion_ and a support group of destroyers from Epsilon Eridani to rescue the _Charles Darwin's_ landing party the public has known something is going on. The media also noticed that of the six ships dispatched only the _Railion_ and one destroyer returned both having suffered heavy damage. We've so far used the cover story that they were dispatched to destroy a large than normal pirate base, but that cover story is not going to hold for much longer. Especially in light of the alien attack on Sentry Station Twenty-Nine and as Minister Jenon points out the very visible gap its destruction is going to leave in the security tracking grid."

"Indeed, so what do you suggest we do about it admiral," Denson asked looking at the former Black Falcon commando.

"Simple mister president we need to tell the public the truth," Prescott replied.

"Are you mad," Jenon asked gaping, "if we tell the public the truth there is going to be chaos, it was cause panic all across the Federation."

"Not if its handled correctly minister," Prescott answered fighting down a momentary surge of irritation at the politicians theatrics. "What we tell them is exactly what has happened along with the fact that all our attempts to establish peaceful relations with the aliens have been futile. We should also add that the aliens massacred the diplomatic team sent to meet them in cold blood when they destroyed the _Crystal Dove_ with all hands onboard."

"Admiral Prescott is right," Svetlana added backing up her SOID colleague. "Minister, mister president I believe it should be obvious to all of us by now that what we are looking at now is the beginning of war with the aliens. The attack on Sentry Station Twenty-Nine is certainly not going to be the last time these aliens attack us. Given their attitudes and fiercely aggressive nature then war between them and us is inevitable."

"War," Jenon repeated tasting the word in his mouth and finding it fouler than any word he had ever spoken. "How could events have led to this? These aliens are a spacefaring race, they've certainly faced similar challenges to us during their development. How can they not see that war leads to nothing but unnecessary pain and suffering?"

"I don't know minister," Prescott replied. "I wish I did, but it doesn't change the fact that we are looking at war with these hostiles no matter how much we wish we could avoid it."

"Admiral Prescott is correct," Svetlana added. "I would like avoid a war, I would rather not inflict the horror of full scale interstellar war upon our people again. But these aliens are not leaving us any other choice and if defending the people of the Federation requires that we go to war with these self styled 'gods' then the Federal Guard is prepared to do so."

"As am I though God help me if it happens," President Denson added with a sigh. "As much as we hate war these aliens seem dead set on starting one with us. I'm going to have to call a special session of the Senate, brief them on what exactly has happened in closed session before we let the public know exactly what is happening. Tell me the truth though admirals are we ready for war with these aliens?"

"No," Svetlana admitted, "not with the ships we currently have available. The bulk of our fleet are lighter combat ships like destroyers which have proven to be no match for the alien capital ships in all but squadron strength numbers and even then most will be severely damaged if not outright destroyed. We need to start refitting and recomissioning more of our larger mothballed ships as well as building newer and more powerful ships."

"That would cost a fortune," Jenon commented already hearing the chancellor's frustrated scream. Many of the ships in the mothball yards had been there for years or in some cases a decade or two, repairing, refitting, crewing and rearming them for service was going to be both very time consuming and expensive, very expensive. Chancellor Shin would have a fit at having to find the money for it though Jenon himself approved of it, he'd been one of the few politicians who'd argued against the reduction in the Federal Guard's heavy forces ever since he'd first become a junior senator twenty years ago.

"I know it will but unfortunately Admiral Kermanova is right," Denson said with a sigh. He hated to go against the established policies of his predecessors who'd limited the numbers of heavy ships the Federal Guard could field. But there was no choice in the matter really, the very thorough tactical analysis of there previous clash with the aliens that he'd read had shown that while powerful ships the Defiance-class destroyers that made up the bulk of the Federal Guards fleet weren't strong enough to go toe to toe with alien warships. At least not as they currently were.

"We cannot however commit to war with an enemy we know next to nothing about. We need to know more about these aliens who claim that they are gods before we even think of war with them," he continued "Admirals where do we stand on that front?"

"Admiral Mabuto reported that one of the alien fighter craft that attacked Sentry Station 29 was disabled and has since been brought aboard the _Victorious_," Svetlana replied noting out the corner of her eye a SOID officer come in through the door of the glass walled conference room that formed one wall of the situation room and move to speak in Admiral Prescott's ear. _I wonder what that's about,_ she thought before continuing with her report. "The pilot surrendered peacefully to the marines who met him and has been surprisingly cooperative. He has been taken to a high security cell in the _Victorious_ brig for the time being where he'll stay until someone can properly interrogate him."

"A cooperative prisoner," Admiral Prescott said leaning forward as the junior SOID officer quietly departed the room. "That's good we should make more progress talking with him than with the interrogation of the bomber pilot the _Railion_ captured. Coupled with what I've just been told we should at last gain some valuable intel about whom and what it is that's been attacking us."

Prescott paused to take a breath before continuing to speak. "Mister President I've just been told that one of the four stealth cruisers to find out more information about our mystery antagonists has had an encounter that should shed considerable light on our situation," he said.

"Go on," Denson said looking at the admiral in interest. He was aware of course of the four stealth cruisers that had been deployed, Admiral Prescott had asked for his permission to do so just after he'd read Commander Larsen's debriefing report. Given the aggression and ruthlessness the aliens had shown – not to mention there seemingly total disregard for the rules of civilised warfare – he had of course given his permission.

"The stealth cruiser _Cheyenne_ commanded by Commander Alan Lorne has encountered a small alien vessel that uses the same technology as the vessels we've previously encountered. However it is much smaller and is completely defenceless with only basic shields and no weapons of any known kind my belief is it's probably a scoutship of somekind," Prescott explained. "As instructed Commander Lorne ordered the ship be intercepted and challenged. Upon making contact with them he made a surprising discovery."

"What kind of discovery?"

"There were two aliens on the ship, one male, and one female. However they claimed not to be related to the main faction of there kind which they referred to as the Goa'uld but belonging to another group calling itself the Tok'ra. Previously the aliens we've observed have been dressed in very lavish costumes and claimed to be a god or goddess but these two were dressed in more simple clothing and the one who spoke called himself a councillor.

"From the conversation that Commander Lorne had with the councillor who identified himself as being called Selmak these Tok'ra have been looking for us ever since Commander Larsen and the _Railion_ tangled with the Goa'uld forces over the world they refer to as Sakana. They're offering to provide us with information on the nature of our new enemy."

"And where are these two aliens now? And what kind of information are they prepared to share?"

"I currently have no information on what data they are proposing to provide. I will investigate further as soon as we are done with this meeting. As for the Tok'ra they and there craft are being taken aboard the _Cheyenne_ as we speak," Prescott replied. "As per standing orders the aliens will be thoroughly scanned and searched for weapons before being taken to quarters unless they prove hostile."

"Good. Order the _Cheyenne_ to return to Terra at maximum speed," Denson ordered. "Have Commander Lorne find out whatever he can from the al…Tok'ra before they arrive."

Prescott nodded. "Commander Lorne is under orders to find out what he can from the aliens, if they are prepared to volunteer any information at this time. I will order the _Cheyenne_ to return to Terra as soon as this meeting ends."

"Good then I want you to lease with the diplomatic service to work out a means of talking with these two aliens if they prove to be more friendly than the others of there kind have been."

Svetlana Kermanova had to choke back a laugh as her SOID colleague made a face at the mention of working with the diplomatic service. No one in the Federal Guard liked to really work with the diplomats if they could avoid it as they were soldiers and not politicians. And SOID was even more reluctant than most of the Guard to work with the diplomats which was understandable considering the dark, murky world that Special Operations regular worked in. She had to admit it was funny seeing the spook fidget uncomfortably.

"Yes sir," Prescott acknowledged the presidents order noting out the corner of his eyes Svetlana struggling not to laugh at his obvious discomfort. _She's not going to let me hear the end of this for awhile,_ he thought with a mental sigh resigning himself to some good natured teasing from the fleet admiral; though the regular Federal Guard and SOID generally got on well – they had a lot of bleed through on some issues especially when Black Falcon special forces units needed to be deployed –they weren't above teasing each other and having friendly rivalries in the tradition of all different military branches throughout Terran history.

"Good. Now then is there any further business to discuss?" Denson asked looking around the table and getting negatives in response. "Then this meeting is adjourned. Admirals Kermanova and Prescott keep me appraised of any and all developments regarding the attack on Sentry Station Twenty-Nine and the 'guests' picked up by both the _Victorious_ and the _Cheyenne_."

"Yes sir."

* * *

**Tok'ra Tel'tac**

**That Same Time**

Selmak felt the butterflies of nerves fluttering about in his host's stomach as the Terran's tractor beam drew them ever closer to the _Cheyenne_. He had to admit he shared his host, Daylen's, unease about the meeting that was sure to take place onboard the alien warship, and he knew he had good reason to be nervous. Especially as the Tok'ra had absolutely no knowledge of the mysterious human nation; they knew was that they were likely to be the modern descendants of the long lost Tau'ri and that they're technology was apparently very advanced and had seemingly taken some radically different directions to the galactic norm. They knew the Terrans had powerful weapons capable of pounding down the current generation of Goa'uld shield technology in very short order.

But other than that they knew nothing.

Certainly they knew nothing about Terran society or culture, how many worlds they controlled, how large their standing military was – though it appeared to be very well equipped, how many warships they had, none of that information was available. Thus in many ways the Terrans were an unknown and that made them dangerous, very dangerous. Had circumstances allowed otherwise Selmak would have preferred to have kept to the High Council's plan and observe the mysterious group of humans for awhile, learning about them and their society before deciding if the Tok'ra should make formal contact with them but apparently fate, the universe or some random ascended being had had other plans and forced a meeting now.

"_Do you think they're going to interrogate us Selmak,"_ Daylen asked him as the _Cheyenne's_ underside swept passed above them.

"_**I believe that is likely to be inevitable, Daylen,"**_ Selmak admitted as the tractor beam angled them towards an opening pair of hanger bay doors two thirds of the way along the cruisers length.

"_Will they torture us?"_

"_**I doubt it. From what Commander Lorne said they'll likely just ask us some very pointed questions,"**_ Selmak assured his worried host, _**"a more in depth interrogation is likely not to take place till we're on the Terran homeworld."**_

"_You think they're going to take us there?"_

"_**I believe that is very likely. If these people are indeed descendants of the first world it will be interesting to see how much it has changed from how it was all those millennia ago when the rebellion forced Ra to abandon it."**_

Before Daylen could speak again a soft shudder ran through the deck as the tractor beam deposited the Tel'tac down on the hard metal deck of the Terran cruisers hanger bay. The computer gave a small crystalline chime as the tractor beam disengaged a moment before the holographic HUD materialised showing somekind of energy field forming around the Tel'tac, presumably to prevent them lifting off without authorisation. _Not that escape would be possible,_ Selmak thought as the HUD also showed the hanger bay doors were closing rapidly even as a dozen figures jogged up to the side of the ship.

"**Open the airlock," **Selmak instructed Anise. His fellow Tok'ra complied without speaking but Selmak could see in her hosts body language that Anise was both nervous about this meeting and eager at the same time. He didn't doubt that Anise would be hoping to get a good look at at least some of the Terrans technology up close even if she didn't immediately understand how some of it worked. _Scientists,_ he thought in amusement as the sound of the airlock cycling drew his attention.

A moment later five of the figures that had jogged up to the side of the ship came into the cockpit. Each was tall and broad shouldered though it was impossible to make out any real details about them because each was wearing a full suite of advanced looking armour complete with a helmet whose only feature was a single glowing bar across the front at eye-level. Each figure was armed carrying a large, intimidating rifle-style weapon that looked slightly different to the rifles described by their operative among the Jaffa on Sakana. Presumably these were a more advanced, more powerful version of the already lethal plasma pulse rifles.

Slowly as not to cause alarm Selmak carefully stood up and put his host's hands in the air in the universal gesture of surrender. Beside him Anise did the same and for another few moments no one in the cockpit moved. Selmak took a moment to examine the armour of the Terran soldiers standing before him.

It seemed to consist of two separate layers. The outermost layer seemed to be composed of faceted black armour plates that gave off an odd opalescent sheen where the lights struck them and which was inset here and there with lines of soft blue light. A strange symbol in silver was located on the right hand side of each soldier's chest – a bird of prey of somekind against a starry background holding what looked like a lightning bolt in its talons. Beneath the armour panels was somekind of black suite that was covered in a pattern similar to that of human musculature, which itself was covered by a thinner mesh version of the black armour panels, presumably designed to allow those areas to flex easily.

All in all the armour looked powerful and advanced while giving off a sense of cool functionality at the same time. When combined with the obvious size of the soldiers wearing it the armour was definitely intimidating.

"Please lower your arms and surrender your sidearms," one of the soldiers said at last, the voice coming out unsurprisingly as male but with a slightly synthetic tone which indicated it was being routed through a translation system.

Selmak calmly did as instructed, lowering Daylen's arms before removing his zat'nik'atel sidearm and dropping it to the floor. Beside him Anise did the same, both of them kicking the sidearms towards one of the waiting soldiers who bent down and carefully picked them up.

"**Now what," **Selmak asked.

"Put these on," another soldier said holding out four small devices. "Place them behind your ears, it will enable you to understand us without needing to use a helmet translator all the time."

Selmak did as instructed, taking two of the devices from the soldier and slipping them into position behind Daylen's ears, out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Anise doing the same behind Kaira's ears – though she had to flick Kaira's long brown hair out of the way first to do so. He hid a smile as he was forever telling Anise and Kaira to get a haircut but for some reason both symbiote and host liked having long hair, which was bizarre to his way of thinking. Even when he'd had female hosts he'd preferred to have his hair short, long hair was just too much of a bother to maintain.

"Excellent," the first soldier who'd spoken said as soon as they were finished, before at some silent command the helmet split apart into three distinct sections that folded down into the collar of the soldier's armour in a similar way to the helmets elite Jaffa guards did allowing Selmak to get his first glimpse at the face of a Terran. The face that looked back at him was that of a young man, with very short cropped brown hair, warm hazel coloured eyes and a strong jaw.

"Please follow us," he instructed his voice no longer having the odd synthetic tone of the helmet translator instead coming through clearly in Daylen's ears. "Commander Lorne is waiting for you in one of the conference rooms, as you can imagine we have a lot of questions for you."

"**Understandable," **Selmak replied and watched as the Terran turned away and led the way out of the Tel'tac, Selmak and Anise followed with the other soldiers – there helmets also retracting – falling into formation around them.

"This way," the first soldier said as they stepped out onto the hanger deck. Selmak followed the Terran soldier as he led the way across the hanger deck towards a door that connected to the rest of the ship. As he walked Selmak carefully scanned the deck, noting the presence of eight sleek black fighters that had the same general configuration as the cruiser did and a number of more beetle-like landing craft though they were made of the same unknown black metal as the others. A black metal that seemed to make his eyes want to slide right off it making it an effective if somewhat crude passive stealth capability designed to fool the good old mark one eyeball.

Then the hanger gave way to a corridor. It was immediately obvious that the Terrans were not a species that went in for excessive, gaudy decoration of the interior of their warships. Instead of the gaudy, hieroglyphic encrusted golden walls of a Goa'uld built vessel the walls of the spacious corridor were quite plane. Instead the walls were made of a soft grey metal that both Tok'ra recognised as being highly refined trinium and it appeared to be perfectly smooth, there were certainly no join lines that could be immediately seen. It was the same everywhere in the corridor, the bulkheads seeming to merge with the deck and ceiling without any visible join line. Illumination came from strips of set into the bottom, middle and tops of the bulkheads, they flooded the corridor with a soft yellowish-white light that felt almost like an artificial form of sunlight.

After a short way the corridor joined two more in a three way junction. In the centre of the open area formed by the junction a console stood with a single Terran in a black and grey uniform operating it. Translucent holographic screens floated in the air around the officer who was definitely female. The officer seemed to ignore them as they walked passed taking the corridor to the right, though Selmak was will to bet that the officers ignorance was only an act, she was certainly following all their movements ready to intervene should they try anything stupid even surrounded as they were by a posse of Black Falcon commandos.

As they began walking down the next corridor a soft shiver ran through the deck accompanied by a distant whirr of sound. **"Have we just jumped into hyperspace,"** Anise asked vaguely recognising the whirring of an engine powering up.

"Yes," the first soldier who'd spoken to them answered as they approached one of the stations for the internal maglev network. The doors of the station opened immediately as they approached revealing a car patiently waiting for them. "Get in," he instructed the two aliens, as soon as they were all in he used his implant to silently order the car to begin moving.

"**How did you do that," **Anise asked as the car began moving though she hadn't seen the Terran touch any form of control and he certainly hadn't issued a verbal command to start this car moving.

"All in good time," the soldier answered evasively. "All your questions will be answered in good time Miss…"

"**Anise, though you can drop the miss part. Anise will do."**

"Anise then," the soldier replied. "You may call me Scott, Lieutenant Scott. I would ask you save your questions, there will be time enough for them to be answered later. Once you have earned the right of answers."

_In other words when they know they can trust us,_ Anise thought with a mental sigh of frustration. Though she knew she couldn't blame the Terran for not answering her questions. There was a lot of mistrust and suspicion to be overcome before they would be willing to give her any real answers about them or their technology.

"_Still doesn't stop you being curious though does it, Anise,"_ Kaira said to her.

"_**No it doesn't,"**_Anise replied letting her host sense her frustration, _**"I just wish they would give me some answers sooner rather than later."**_

"_I know but we must be patient. These people after all don't trust us yet. And I can't really blame them given the false gods have attacked them every single time they've met."_

"_**Neither can I but its still frustrating isn't it?"**_

"_Very."_

* * *

**Conference Room**

**TFS Cheyenne **

**A Few Minutes Later**

Commander Alan Lorne waited patiently for his two 'guests' to arrive in the conference room he'd set aside for their initial debriefing. The orders he'd received directly from Admiral Prescott's office had been clear, he was only to ask some basic questions about the Tok'ra and the Goa'uld before having Selmak and Anise taken to guest quarters for the rest of the journey home to Terra. A journey that at most would take just over a day at the top speed the _Cheyenne_ was capable of.

He looked up at the sound of the door opening to see Lieutenant Scott's squad come into the room surrounding the two 'Tok'ra' who currently hovered in the space between being guests and prisoners. "Ah welcome," he said standing up and gesturing to two seats across from him. "Please be seated. Lieutenant Scott you may remain the rest of your squad however must wait outside."

"Aye sir," Scott acknowledged and nodded to the rest of his squad who quickly slipped out of the room. For his part Scott went and stood where he could see the two Tok'ra ready to intervene should they threaten his commanding officer in some way, not that his assistance would be massively needed. Commander Lorne had been a Falcon himself once and had the same enhanced abilities that Scott did, even though he wasn't wearing Tribune armour with its strength boosting nano-fibres Scott knew that Lorne would be a lot stronger than his two hundred and forth pound physique would suggest and more than capable of killing the aliens with his bare hands if needs be. Still it never hurt to be prepared.

Lorne gave a subtle nod to Scott in approval of his positioning before turning his full attention to his two now seating 'guests'. "Welcome aboard the _Cheyenne_," he said in greeting as he sat back down. "I assume my soldiers weren't to rough with you."

"**They were fine with us commander,"** Selmak replied. **"I believe that you have questions for us."**

"That I do Councillor Selmak."

"**Just Selmak will do commander."**

"Very well, I have been ordered by my superiors to ask you a few questions prior to allowing you to settle into what VIP quarters we have onboard this ship," Lorne replied. "Whereupon you will be allowed to rest during our voyage back to Terra, I assume that will be fine with you?"

"**That will be fine commander."**

"Good. This debriefing should only take a couple of minutes and any refusal to answer questions will not be tolerated and will result in you spending this journey in our holding cells. Is that understood." When both Tok'ra nodded in understanding Lorne allowed himself a small smile before using his implant to remotely activate the data recorder he'd set down in the centre of the table. It would record both the conversation and a number of biological readings from the two Tok'ra. "For the record please state your names."

"**I am Councillor Selmak, my hosts name is Daylen,"** Selmak replied.

"**I am Anise, my hosts name is Kaira,"** Anise added.

"Explain what you mean by hosts, are you some kind of parasites."

"**No," **Selmak replied, **"my species once we reach maturity – a process that takes approximately ten standard years from birth – requires a blending with another life form in order to survive, this is a biological fact that we are unfortunately unable to change. Instead we have embraced it and live in symbiosis with a host, this can be a human or any other life form with a compatible nervous system. We share the body equally with our host's consciousness and they make have control whenever they wish, to our hosts we provide a number of benefits including a massively extended lifespan, perfect health and enhanced physical capabilities."**

"When we hailed your ship you identified yourselves as being Tok'ra and that those who have been attacking us are Goa'uld. Can you explain the difference as from our scans the technology on your ship and the technology of the Goa'uld warships is identical."

"**It's complicated but the basic answer is that biologically we and the Goa'uld are the same species,"** Selmak replied, **"though neither of us really likes to admit it. The biggest difference between us is how we choose to live and how we treat our hosts. Tok'ra like me and Anise believe in living in symbiosis with our hosts and giving them equal control and rights. The Goa'uld does not share this view and behave in a far more parasitic fashion."**

"Explain."

"**The Goa'uld believe that they are superior to all other life forms – indeed they like to believe that they are living, breathing gods and require that any non-Goa'uld worship them as such. Once inside a host the Goa'uld completely suppress the host personality, forcing the host to literally become a prisoner in his or her own body, able to see and hear everything that is happening around them but unable to interact with the world. Due to this and a number of other factors including the fact that the Goa'uld are extremely cruel and vindictive the host will soon go insane."**

"And the Tok'ra do not enslave their hosts?"

"**No we don't. If you wish you may speak with my host."**

"I would appreciate that."

Selmak nodded and for a moment looked down at the polished metal surface of the table. A silent chime sounded inside Lorne head as the recorder detected and relayed to his implant that the Tok'ra's neural electric pattern was changing. A moment later Selmak's head came back up and for a moment blinked and looked around uncertain.

"Um hello," Daylen said nervous about speaking with Commander Lorne despite the support he could feel Selmak giving him.

"Hello you are Daylen?"

"Yes," Daylen replied still nervous. He'd always been quiet and talking to the Terran opposite was hard work, the man was huge and intimidating. "Um can Selmak speak to you again now please? I'm afraid I'm not very good at talking to strangers."

"Alright," Lorne agreed seeing how nervous and unsure Daylen was. _Guess my size is intimidating him,_ he thought.

"Thank you," Daylen replied before closing his eyes a moment and felt his thoughts be gently picked up and set aside as Selmak took over control again. _"I'm sorry he scares me, he looks too much like the Jaffa in the mines did."_

"_**It's quite alright Daylen,"**_ Selmak told his host before opening Daylen's eyes again and speaking to Commander Lorne. **"I apologise commander, Daylen was a Goa'uld slave in one of Ra's naquada mines for many years until we rescued him when we destroyed the mining facility. I'm afraid your size reminds him to much of the Jaffa overseers."**

"The Goa'uld practice slavery?"

"**Yes,"** Selmak replied. **"The Goa'uld have enslaved many species across a large part of this galaxy though the majority are human due to the quick human reproductive rate. In their world view other species are only useful as slaves or as hosts."**

"How do the Goa'uld have so many human slaves? As far as I know our species have never met before now."

"**It is a very long story commander."**

"We have plenty of time."

"**That we do. Very well I will tell you,"** Selmak replied. **"It began nine millennia ago, long before the Tok'ra split off from the Goa'uld. The Goa'uld back then used a species called the Unas as hosts, a species from the same world as the Goa'uld themselves. Over time the Unas host species evolved to reject the symbiotes as a result the Goa'uld began dying off. In desperation the leader of the Goa'uld the Supreme System Lord Ra began searching the galaxy for a new species to use as hosts.**

"**Eventually after much searching Ra discovered a world populated by recently evolved, primitive humans. He landed and took a young boy as his new host and in the process discovered that human bodies are unusually compatible with our species. He invited other Goa'uld to come to the world – Tau'ri as he called it – and take humans as new hosts. They then took others and biologically altered them into a race of foot soldiers known as the Jaffa, yet more were taken from Tau'ri and seeded among the stars to serve the new Goa'uld Empire as slaves or potential hosts."**

"Terra," Lorne breathed softly sharing a startled look with Lieutenant Scott as they both realised exactly what Selmak was saying.

"**Commander," **Selmak asked.

"The world Ra came to from your narrative, it's now called Terra or Earth in some circles."

"**We suspected that would be the case that you would be the descendants of the Tau'ri,"** Anise said speaking for the first time. **"It has been so long since any Goa'uld or Tok'ra walked on your world that you would have had plenty of time to have evolved into the technologically advanced species you are today."**

"Do the Goa'uld know where our world is?"

"**No,"** Selmak replied, **"the coordinates of Tau'ri, of Terra have been lost to the Goa'uld for nearly eight millennia ever since the Goa'uld were driven from there by a slave uprising."**

"One up for our ancestors," Scott said grinning.

"**Indeed. I do not know why the Goa'uld did not return to Tau'ri to exact revenge for the uprising. By then the Tok'ra had split off from the Goa'uld but whatever it was it made sure the coordinates were lost to the System Lords. Until now, now that they know of your existence it is only a matter of time before they find your world once again."**

"And what happens when they do?"

"**They will attack you with every bit of strength they can muster. You're level of technology marks you down as a threat to them, and the Goa'uld do not tolerate such things. They will attempt to conquer you but if that fails then they will not hesitate to blast your species into extinction and glass your worlds."**

"Can the Tok'ra help us against them?" Lorne asked shivering at the thought of Terran worlds, even Terra herself, being glassed at the hands of these Goa'uld, was to horrible to even think about. _One thing is for sure we would fight with everything we've got to stop that from happening, _he thought, _the A.I's learned how aggressively we'll defend ourselves a hundred and fifty years ago when they tried to wipe us out. So will these Goa'uld._

"**Not directly,"** Selmak admitted. **"We do not have the numbers or military resources required to openly challenge the Goa'uld. All our moves against them have to be carried out through subterfuge and deceit using the feudal nature of the individual System Lords against them. What we can do however is offer advice and counsel on how to fight them, provide intelligence and even put you in contact with other worlds in this galaxy that are as advanced as you or more so."**

"I see," Lorne replied before using his implant to stop the data recorder. "That will be all for now, Selmak. Lieutenant Scott will escort you and Anise to your quarters. In the meantime I will contact my superiors and relay what you have told me, no doubt they will want to know more from you when we reach home."

"**We understand commander,"** Selmak replied before standing up with a polite nod of his head. Beside him Anise did the same thing.

"This way please," Lieutenant Scott said stepping forward before leading the two Tok'ra out of the room and back into the maze of corridors that filled the interior of the cruiser, leaving Alan alone in the conference room.

As soon as the door closed on the commando and the Tok'ra Alan Lorne tapped his wristcomm. "Bridge, Commander Lorne. Contact Federal Guard command on Terra immediately. I need to speak with both Admiral Prescott and Fleet Admiral Kermanova immediately."

"Aye sir."


End file.
